Converging paths
by obsi2
Summary: AU. Jane is a BPD detective that has encountered Hoyt for the first time. Maura is a renouned psychiatrist. Turns out that their paths are about to intertwine in more than one way. Rizzles all the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Here I am again with an AUish story about this special badass couple. Jane is a detective right after her first encounter with Hoyt and Maura is a mysterious psychiatrist Jane really wants to get to know. Tag along for their ride together in this new adventure.**

 **Their thoughts are in Italics.**

 **Disclaimer: The characters belong to TNT, Janet Tamaro and especially Tess Gerritsen. I only own the idea of the story.**

 **I hope you like it Enjoy! :) And be kind with your reviews, I'm just doing this for fun.  
**

 _I can't believe that Cavanaugh has made me go to a shrink. Maybe I had a bad run with the worst animal I've ever met, but that doesn't make me a nutcase, for God's sake!_

Jane enters the hall of her new psychiatrist and announces her name to the receptionist. The woman invites her to take a seat while she waits and Jane complies. After about then minutes, the door to the doctor's office opens and a patient exits with tears in his eyes.

 _This must be a hell of a doctor_ , Jane thinks. Right then, the receptionist invites Jane to enter the office and she accepts reluctantly. What Jane wasn't expecting was to see a gorgeous woman waiting for her on the other side of a beautiful wooden desk. She stands up and offers a hand to the stunned detective.

"Hello Jane. My name is Maura. How can I help you?"

 _Her voice, her eyes, her hair. Oh my God, this woman is a goddess!_

"Mmmm... Oh, sorry, I got distracted. Hi. I just... Well, let's cut to the chase, I'm here because my boss made me come." Jane fidgets with her aching hands.

"Sit down please. I see. Did something happen in your work that he forced you to attend a session with me?"

"Well... Let's say that my job is all about the worst trash you can find on the streets and sometimes it gets out of hand."

"Can you be more specific?"

"I can but I don't want to. Doc, you and I know that this is a waste of time. You won't solve my problems and I won't magically believe in you shrinks, so why don't you sign a paper that says that I complied so I can go back to work?"

"Because Jane, things don't work that way. First of all, you need to open up to me, at least a little bit so I can understand what those problems you mentioned are. Second of all, because we 'shrinks' as you call us, despite of what you think of us, exist to help other people and believe or not, sometimes a stranger is the best person to listen to us. A fresh look can help us see things differently and maybe even face challenges and fears better."

"Look doc, no disrespect, but I'm not about to open up my heart and mind to some stranger that doesn't know me at all. I don't work that way and I hope you understand."

"I understand that some people are reluctant to take that step because it's not an easy one. But it's also a brave one and by the looks of it, you seem to be brave woman. Am I wrong?"

 _Man! How stubborn can this woman be! Let it go already!_

Jane stands up and offers her hand again to the doctor but she doesn't reciprocate. Before she can leave, the detective asks:

"Are you mad at me? Because I didn't mean to be rude, honestly. It's just that I'm very reserved and making me come here wasn't the best way to help me. But it's been nice talking to you."

"Jane, sit down, please. We have fifty minutes left and you don't have to leave on these terms. We can talk about anything you want, it doesn't have to be work related if you don't want to."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Jane can't resist the offer and sits down again. There's something about the woman that attracts her like a moth to a flame. In order to brake the ice a little, she decides to make a joke:

"Did you study a Major in stubbornness? Because you must have excelled, for sure."

They both smile. The doctor is pleased that Jane decides to stay.

"Well, my job is to listen and be persuasive. I'm glad that I succeeded for now with you."

She smiles politely and Jane finds that expression adorable. Her hands ache like hell but she can't stop rubbing them.

 _Shit, what is this woman doing to me, come on! I'm straight! Or am I? Oh, shut up, Jane! And say something smart._

"Yes, you have. For now." _Not very creative. Good job, smartass._

Jane winks at the doctor and Maura is surprised. Since the awkwardness is beginning to settle, the doc lets her patient take the lead in the conversation.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Jane?"

"Is this the moment where I have to talk about my childhood and all the traumas my parents caused me? Because you won't find anything there, believe me."

"If you want to talk about that time I'll be delighted to listen. How was your childhood? Your family? Do you have siblings?"

"Yes, I have two brothers. I am the eldest and we are a blue-collar Italian family, so my parents are pretty conservative. Being the only girl made it a little more difficult for me to make a living for myself because my parents always wanted a conventional life for me. You know, husband, children, all that stuff."

"So, you had to fight to become a policewoman."

"Actually, I'm a detective now. But yes, I had to fight my ass off... Oh, sorry for my language."

Jane was a bit ashamed. She was dealing with a very classy woman and she was being an idiot. How else could she screw up?

"Don't apologize for being yourself, Jane. Express yourself as you like, I'm not here to judge, I'm just here to listen to you."

"Ok, thanks. I feel that I had to struggle more than my brothers to become who I wanted to be only because I was a girl. And becoming a cop didn't help things either."

"Was it hard for your parents to accept that you were joining the force?"

"It was a bombshell, especially for my father. The first day in the police academy, when I came home, my father wouldn't talk to me. My mother begged me crying to desist and my brothers grilled me about the experience. So yeah, it was hard. But days went by and they all got used to seeing me talking about the new things I was learning. Eventually they became proud of me and they all assisted to my graduation ceremony. So everything worked out in the end. I guess you just need patience, perseverance and strength to make a path for yourself. "

"That's nice, Jane. What about you? Are you proud of yourself?"

"Not really. Being a cop, I've learned that pride doesn't get you anywhere and it's better to go day by day because you don't know if you'll survive to see the next day. So I'm not proud but driven, I guess."

"That's something we all should apply to our lives. Carpe diem, as they say."

"Right, carpe...whatever."

"Diem. It means 'Enjoy every day' and we should. All of us, because life is precious and we don't understand its value until it's too late."

"Right. Anyway, being a woman in the police is not easy either. You have to prove twice all your skills to be as respected as your male colleagues and sometimes it's very taxing."

"Being a woman is not easy anywhere, but a place like the police force must be a specially hostile environment to the female employees."

"Yes it is. But working hard and showing that you are capable of handling anything that comes your way helps you gain respect. I know of a couple of male colleagues that won't ever be rude again with me. I'm guessing that they have regained feeling in their private area by now."

Jane smiles and Maura laughs a little. That's the best sound that could reach Jane's ears and makes her day. _How charming can this doctor be?_ She thinks.

"What about you, doc? How is your family? Is it as awful as mine?"

"For what I've heard, your family is not awful. Do you really think so?"

"Nah, it was just a way of making conversation. But seriously, what about you?"

"I'm sorry, Jane, but we are not here to talk about me. This session is intended to make you comfortable and let you get used to seeing me. I hope you feel better about talking to me."

 _Damn, this is gonna be a tough cookie. I'll find the way to get to know you, doctor Maura Isles._

"I'm afraid that your time is up. Will I see you in a next appointment, Jane?"

"Will you give me the thumbs up to get back to my job today?"

"That's not possible, you know that. Give it time, I promise you that you'll feel better talking with me."

 _As if. Well, screw it, I'll be a good girl and come here as long as she tells me to. She's nice and being on leave I have nothing better to do._

"Ok, count me in for the next session. Do you know long will it take for you to discharge me?"

"It will depend on your progress. It's all up to you, but I'm confident that it won't take long. You are a strong and smart woman and together we can make this work. See you soon, Jane."

They shake hands and Jane feels something she hadn't felt before. Some tingling in her guts, she feels her blood running through her veins and is left speechless by the amazing doctor she has now discovered. Just to say something before exiting, she only manages to mumble:

"See you, doc."

During that day, Jane couldn't stop thinking about Maura. There was something mesmerizing about her. Maybe it was her class, or her demeanor or even her calm presence. Either way, the detective needed to see her again. And soon. When the night arrived, the usual nightmare struck her again. Hoyt had her pinned down to the floor, the pain and fear were excruciating and she felt completely helpless. But then something changed: there was a voice telling her to wake up. That soothing voice was telling her to calm down, that she was safe in her own bedroom and that she only needed to open her eyes to get back to reality. So she did. And there she was, in her own bedroom, alone and safe. Jane was amazed. She remembered every single detail of her last dream and knew who that voice belonged to: Maura. Without even intending to, the doctor had began healing her, even if it was just in dreams. In the next session, Jane would tell her. Or maybe not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's another one. Thanks for the follows, reviews and favorites. You are the best. I hope you like this one too. ;)  
**

Life without work was a pain in the ass for Jane. She really liked her job, but didn't realize how much she needed it until it was gone. The hours were long. She tried to occupy her time with useless errands but that wasn't enough. The less she had to do, the worst it was for her mind, because her thoughts were flooding her head and none of them were good. She needed a distraction but she made a rushed decision instead: she went to see Maura again. It had only been two days since that first session, but Jane really needed to do something or she would actually go crazy.

She entered the office ignoring the receptionist on the way and knocking directly on Maura's door. The beautiful doctor opened it within seconds, but if she was surprised by Jane's unplanned visit, she didn't show.

"Hello Jane. What are you doing here? Don't we have an appointment on Friday?"

"Yes doc, but I really need to see you now. I am going crazy without my job and you are the only one that can help me." Jane looked whiny, but she was desperate and didn't care.

"Alright. Can you wait fifteen minutes, please? I have another patient."

"Sure. Thank you."

Maura closed the door and somehow Jane felt relieved. She never imagined that she would ever feel relieved for seeing a shrink, but there she was. She had no other choice, so she accepted her current situation.

After those fifteen minutes, the patient exited Maura's office and Jane dared entering without knocking. She found the doctor writing down some notes on her notebook but she managed to welcome Jane anyway.

"Take a seat, Jane, I'll be with you in a minute."

Jane sat down and decided to take a look at the office. All the walls were full of what seemed to be mementos of different trips throughout the world. There were African masks, pictures of different tribes, even what looked like an animal bone. All those items sparked Jane's interest in Maura even more.

Maura joined Jane by sitting on a very comfortable chair opposite to her. This was different than the last time, when they sat across each other at the table. In fact, this setting was more comfortable for Jane.

"So, what brought you here today, Jane?"

"Are those items from your travel, doc?"

"I've travelled a little, yes. But this is not what made you come here today, is it? Is there something bothering you?"

"Actually, there is. I am going crazy without anything to do all day. I need to go back to work. Please, let my boss know what I'm ok so I can go back to the station, please." Jane hated to beg, but this was a desperate situation and her pride didn't mean anything as long as she didn't have a job to go back to.

"I'm afraid that's not possible just yet, Jane. If I'm..."

"But doc!"

"Please, let me explain." -Jane nodded defeated- "If I'm not mistaken, not long ago you suffered a very traumatic experience in your job. Am I right?"

"Yes." Jane was getting very upset.

"And the first session we got, you avoided the subject."

"Aha. So?"

"So... Let me ask you this: what would you think of a colleague of yours that suffered a trauma, didn't seek help and accidentally killed somebody with their weapon because they lost control? Would you take their side?"

That question felt like a ton of bricks for Jane, because she hadn't realized that she could become a danger to the general population if she ever lost control. "No." She said whispering and looking at the ground.

"Would you like to be them? Losing control and killing an innocent person?"

"Of course not! Who do you think I am?" That was the reaction Maura was looking for.

"See? It didn't take much for you to almost lose control. Jane please, look at me." Her voice was calm and soothing. Jane was trying to regulate her breathing by taking long breaths. Her heart was racing and she closed her eyes. Only when she did, the only image she got was Hoyt's face, so she opened her eyes quickly and tried to regain her ground. She started rubbing her hands almost uncontrollably and Maura noticed. The doctor sat right next to Jane and took her hands.

"Here, let me." At first, Jane almost by instinct tried to retrieve her hands, but something inside her told her not to. The next thing she knew, her hands stopped aching so much and Maura's massages also calmed her nerves. Her heart rate and breathing went back to normal and she felt herself again.

After a few minutes of gentle massaging, Maura went back to her seat.

"Thank you, doc. You really helped me there." _Talk about healing hands._

"You're welcome. Our hands have many neuroreceptors, just like our feet, so everything you feel in them is reflected in different parts of your body, including the brain. The healthier our hands and feet are, the better we feel."

"Good to know."

"Jane, will you be able to tell me what happened to your hands? Why do you have those fresh scars?"

Jane's heart rate started spiking again. But this time, she was able to calm herself. Before starting with her explanation, she took a deep breath.

"Three months ago, there was a... We had a case... Damn, this is very hard! I can't even talk about it!"

"Would you like to let me help you with the story?"

"What do you know about it?"

"Your boss sent me a copy of the report before I took you as a patient."

"WHAT? You knew all along?" Jane stood up as a resort.

"Jane, calm down, please. Yes, I knew about your case before you came, but that doesn't mean that you don't need to talk about it."

"Yes it does. In fact, I think I'm gonna go now."

"No, please!" Maura stood up and took Jane gently from the elbow. They looked at each other intently, trying to calm themselves. Suddenly, Jane withdrew her elbow from Maura's hand and sat down, surprising the doctor in the process.

"Ok, doc." She took another deep breath to settle down better. "Show me that you really want to help me."

Maura sat down too and looked intrigued by Jane's request. "What do you mean?"

"Show me by being honest with me."

"Of course. I'm always honest."

"Right. I'll ask you a question then: What did you think when you read my file? If I even detect one white lie, I'm out of here."

"I thought that you were very brave. That you put yourself in danger in order to save another person and that takes a lot of courage. I also thought that you had to feel lost after what you endured and I made it my mission to try to help you heal those scars that can't be seen." Maura never stopped looking at Jane's eyes while explaining her initial thoughts about her patient. She was being as honest as possible.

Jane swallowed hard. She was being faced with the truth about her case, that she couldn't deny. She remained silent, so Maura took that moment to ask her a question:

"Do you feel lost, Jane?"

"I... I don't even know how I feel, honestly."

"You can start by telling me what really brought you here today. You said that you need to go back to work, but there's something else, isn't there?"

"Yes. I keep having nightmares that won't let me sleep more than two hours in a row. I feel tired all day and I'm sick of feeling... vulnerable, I guess."

"How are those nightmares? Do you dream about Charles Hoyt?"

Jane cringed upon hearing that name. "Please, don't name that beast. He doesn't deserve to have a human name."

"I won't name him again, I promise. But what do you feel every time you hear that name?"

"Loathing, anger and..." Jane didn't have the nerve to end that sentence, so Maura insisted.

"And?"

"Fear, ok? I feel fear too. Are you happy? You made me confess my deepest burden. I'm afraid of that maniac and I hate feeling this way!" Jane stood up and started pacing around the office.

Maura was expecting that kind of reaction and was certain that the therapy was starting to work. She was secretly pleased, despite seeing Jane so upset. She waited a couple of minutes for Jane to calm down before resuming the conversation. Jane stopped pacing and sat down again. Her face was flushed and her eyes had unshed tears, but she tried to look brave.

"Jane, there's no shame in feeling fear. In fact, that's a very human response to something stressful or unknown and is meant to be a protection to us. If we can control our fears, no harm can come from them. The first step is to recognize we have them, so we can face them the best way possible and you just did that. Now you just need patience to overcome them and get back to your normal life."

"You think I'll be able to go back to my life before that son of a bitch made an appearance? "

"I'm pretty sure you will. You have the strength and the time to be the Jane Rizzoli we all admire. It will take some self-learning and I will give you the tools for that. Jane, do you trust me?"

"I think I do. Trust is a very big word, but I think I really trust you. In just two sessions, that's impressive, doc. I'm not a very trusting person, but you managed to gain my confidence very quickly. Hold on, did you just say that you admire me?"

"Thank you and yes." Maura smiled and, in that moment, Jane decided that she wanted Maura in her life. "I'm afraid your time is up and I have another patient in five minutes, but anything you need, here is my card with my cell number. Day or night, I'll always answer. You are not alone, Jane." Maura handed her card to Jane and the detective touched Maura's hand longer than expected. If Maura felt something towards Jane, she disguised it very well, because Jane didn't notice anything else than sympathy and maybe professional interest from the doctor. But it was too soon to tell and Jane was hopeful that one day the amazing psychiatrist would be a part of her life.

"Thank you, doc. I'll keep your card close, just in case. I really appreciate your time. See you on Friday?"

"Of course, see you then. Take care, Jane." She smiled politely and Jane answered:

"You too, Maura."


	3. Chapter 3

**Vean, thannks for you review. You are totally right, a pshychiatrist wouldn't get chummy with one of her patients, but since this is a story written for fun, I'm just playing with the characters without sticking to complete reality. I hope you still like the story anyway. ;)**

 **The rest of you guys, thanks for the follows, reviews and favorites. I hope to keep your interest till the end. Enjoy! :)**

Days went by and Jane felt almost the same as the first day after being discharged from the hospital. Rage, anger, fear... She couldn't seem to let go of those horrible feelings, but the worst part was at night. That monster didn't let her sleep for more than a few minutes and it was taking its toll on her. Finally, one night, she'd had it. Without even thinking, for the first time she dialed a cell number she had memorized after looking at Maura's card a thousand times. It was 2 AM so Jane wasn't even sure that the doctor would answer, but after a couple of tones, a very sleepy voice answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Doc? This is Jane Rizzoli. Sorry for calling in the middle of the night, but..."

"Is everything ok, Jane?" Her voice sounded more alert now.

"Actually, no it's not. I couldn't sleep after another nightmare and I'm extremely tired. I was wondering if you could give me something to sleep a whole night."

"Oh, of course I can. Do you want me to come over?"

"I would appreciate that. My address is..."

"No need, I know where you live. It's in your file."

"Oh, right. See you in a bit then?"

"Yes, see you in a bit. And don't worry, we'll figure it out."

"Thanks, doc."

They hung up and somehow, Jane felt relieved. How could a stranger feel so comforting? It wasn't like her to rely so much in someone she didn't even know, but the doctor surely had earned that trust.

After half an hour, there was a knock on Jane's door and when she opened it, she saw an impeccable Maura Isles, sporting a black and white dress, high heels, a huge handbag, perfect make-up and her trademark polite smile. None other than her could look so amazing at 2:30 AM without sleeping.

"Hello Jane."

"Hello Maura. Please, come in." She entered Jane's apartment and looked around.

"It's not much, but I live alone, so it's more than enough for me."

"Feels homey."

"It is to me. Do you want some coffee?"

"Yes please. You shouldn't drink any if you want these pills to work."

"Oh, right. Here you go. Milk? Sugar?"

"No milk, thanks. Do you have stevia?"

"No, sorry."

"No problem. No sugar, then." She took the coffee mug, put it on a coaster and started roaming through her purse. "Let me see if I find them... Here they are." She offered Jane a small bottle with a few yellow pills inside and Jane looked at them a little suspiciously.

"Don't worry, Jane. They are not addictive, unless you take them without supervision. But you are under my supervision, so you won't become addicted to them, I can assure you that."

"Okay, doc, I trust you. I'm in your hands. I'm so tired that right now I could be popping a cyanide pill and I wouldn't care."

Maura smiled widely and Jane suddenly felt more alert. Right then, a thought crossed her mind: Maybe she wouldn't need pills, but just Maura's presence to sleep better? She she didn't have anything to lose, so she took the chance and asked her.

"Say doc. Could we try something else before resorting to the pills?"

"What do you want to try?" Maura felt curious.

"If it's too much to ask, please just say so and I'll take those pills. But I was wondering if you could stay with me for the rest of the night? I mean, keeping me company so I can feel safer? Maybe that way I'll be able to sleep for more than a few minutes each time. Like I said, if it's too much to ask, just tell me and forget what I just asked."

"Actually, it's not such a bad idea. Supervised sleep usually works with people with traumas. Sure, I'll stay."

"Are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want, it's not part of your job."

"Somehow it is part of my job. I want to help you and, if this is a way to do it, then so be it. No problem."

"Thank you, Maura. I really appreciate it. Maybe we could watch some TV. I'll probably sleep at some point."

"Sure, go ahead." They made themselves comfortable on Jane's couch. Side by side, Jane decided to throw a blanket over them and then closed her eyes, without even noticing that she was falling asleep. Maura was watching Jane fall asleep and decided to stare at her when the brunette was out like a light. After a few minutes, Jane started to stir in her sleep, mumbling non-sense and crying. Maura decided to lay a hand on Jane's arm and began whispering soothing words to Jane's ear.

"You are safe, Jane. Calm down, you are at home, you aren't in any danger. Shhhh, that's it, calm down. Relax. You are safe." It worked like a charm. Jane stopped crying, mumbling and moving and her breath evened. She was sleeping deeply again. The situation repeated itself a few more times and Maura used the same technique over and over again. It always worked, so at 9 AM, Jane woke up refreshed and happy. Somehow, she had managed to sleep a few hours in a row and that was a success. What she didn't expect was to see her favorite doctor by her side, sleeping like a baby and looking more gorgeous than ever. Jane was definitely looking at the reason why she had slept through the night and she couldn't feel more grateful to her.

 _I couldn't imagine that she would look even more perfect sleeping than awake. Where do you come from, Maura Isles? Are you my guardian angel?_

Jane decided to take a shower and make some coffee. When she was at the kitchen, she accidentally awoke Maura, who looked confused at first. She looked around because the place was unknown to her, until she heard Jane and understood everything that happened the night before.

"Good morning doc!"

Rubbing her eyes, she replied:

"Good morning, Jane. How are you feeling today?" She smiled, knowing that the detective looked much better.

"I feel amazing! I haven't felt like this in over three months. Could I hire you full time for the next three years?" Jane was joking, but deep down she wished Maura accepted. She smiled widely and Maura felt a pang of something she wasn't able to decipher, so she let it go.

Maura laughed and answered cheerfully: "Well, I would love to but I have other patients that need me too. I'm glad that I helped you, though. Could I use your bathroom, please?"

"Sure! First door on the right." Jane wanted to hug the doctor, but she knew that it was way too soon to start displaying some sort of affection towards her, so she refrained herself. She would try to engage in a more personal conversation over breakfast, just to know Maura better. Or at all.

When the doctor exited the bathroom, Jane was waiting for her with a coffee mug in her hand and a French toast. Maura took the mug but rejected the toast.

"No, thanks. I'm used to eating vegetables in the morning."

"Vegetables? Really? "Are you a vegetarian or something?"

"No, I just like to eat healthy. Anyway, I have to go. My first patient arrives at 11 and I still have to go home and take a shower. Thank you for the coffee, Jane. See you on your next appointment?"

"Sure, see you then. Thank you very much, Maura. You have helped me a lot lately, and I didn't even have to take a single pill." She smiled and Maura mimicked the gesture.

"Bye, Jane."

"Bye, doc."

Jane felt somewhat disappointed. She knew that it was a long stretch to think that Maura would stay longer than a few minutes after breakfast, but she still wanted more from the doctor. One of the things Maura had told her in order to help her mental recovery was to focus on specific activities and now Jane had a new goal to achieve: discovering Maura Isles. She would follow her, google her and do her gumshoe work as she used to when active, in order to find out who the doctor was.

The first thing she did was to look out her window and write down Maura's license plate. It was illegal to investigate a subject if they weren't persons of interest, but she had some juice in the department. She knew her brother wouldn't say a word if she asked him to run the license plate so she called him immediately. After some reluctance from Frankie, he caved and gave her the details she wanted to know. Maura was squeaky clean as expected, not even a parking ticket, and she lived in Boston's most expensive neighborhood: Beacon Hill.

Next thing Jane did was to google her. There were a few medical articles written by her, some star appearances at prestigious medical seminars, but not much more. Jane found that weird, since Maura was one of the most important psychiatrists in Massachusetts. Why was she so private with her life? Was there something she didn't want anybody to know? Was Maura shadier than she looked like? Jane was determined to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Jane is hell bent in discovering Maura's secrets, isn't she? Let's see how that goes...**

The next session with Maura it felt different. Somehow, the doctor looked somber, not as composed as she always was. She was trying hard to keep focused on what Jane was saying, but it wasn't easy.

Jane, being an experienced detective, noticed that Maura absent-minded and finally inquired:

"Hey doc, what's wrong? Is everything ok?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Go on. You were talking about your relationship with your partner, right?"

"Actually, that was a few minutes ago. Something's wrong, I know. Can I help you in any way?"

"No, Jane, that won't be necessary, but thank you for the offer. Let me ask you something: Have you noticed any change in your partner's behavior towards you?"

 _She always does that. Every time the conversation turns personal for her, she changes the subject. Someday_ _I will change that._

"No, luckily my old partner seems to be the same as always. What I love about him is that he doesn't treat me like a broken doll, or a crystal thing that could brake any moment. He treats me like his partner, strong and manly. He doesn't see me like a female partner, he just sees me like his partner, period. I appreciate that."

"That's wise from him. The best way to recover is to be treated the same by the people who surround you. If they treat you like a victim you will feel that way. If they treat you like their loved one, you will only feel loved."

"That's beautiful, doc. Do you feel loved?"

"I'm sorry, Jane, but your time is up. See you next time? I would like for you to make a list of the things you really love in life. By preference, if possible. That's your homework for the next day." She smiled politely, as always, but that wasn't enough for Jane anymore. She wanted to know everything about the enigma that was Maura Isles. And she was about to know more today already.

Jane knew that Maura had appointments until the evening, so she waited in her car in front of Maura's building until she saw her exit with her car. Jane followed her a few cars behind, not to be spotted, until they arrived at a cemetery and Maura parked. She was carrying a bouquet of lilacs and looked sad. Jane walked a few yards behind her until the doctor stopped at a small gravestone, kneeled down, deposited the flowers carefully and started crying silently. After a couple of minutes, Maura wiped out the tears, took a few deep breaths and started walking slowly. Jane took some pictures of Maura's ritual and waited until the psychiatrist disappeared to approach the gravestone with the flowers. It read:

"Baby Mayra Doyle. Born August 1976. Died August 1976. Safe from all earthy harm."

 _What the hell? Who was she?_ Jane wrote down the data from the stone and went to her car. She had finally something to go on, but for now she wanted to see where Maura lived. It turned out to be an amazing townhouse with a guest house, a big yard and lots of style. Maura was definitely a wealthy woman but Jane wanted to know where her money came from.

When she went back home, Jane googled the name "Maura Doyle", but the only results that appeared were from one "Paddy Doyle". She had heard about the famous mob enforcer that in the 80's and 90's had become Boston's terror, but... Hold on, could this Maura Doyle be related to the mobster? And what did Maura have to do with all that? Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, so she read the data Frankie had given her of Maura. Born: August, 15 1976.

 _WHAAAAT? Maura is the daughter of a mobster? What the hell? Why is there a gravestone with her name on it? Why was she crying? I need to know more so I'll go directly to the source. To hell with the consequences._

When the next session arrived, Jane was especially nervous, but then again, she was about to place her highest bet and maybe she would lose everything.

"Hello Jane. How have you been."

"Fine, thanks doc."

"Are you sure? You look worried."

"Well, yes, I am worried, but not because of my life. There's someone that worries me more than myself and I'd love for her to open up to me. "

"How so?"

"Because she's extremely reserved and I know she's in trouble."

"If she's so reserved, how come you know she's in trouble?"

"I'm a detective, remember? My guts are always right when it comes to the human nature. You should know about that, you make a living out of it."

"I don't believe in my intestines, detective. It's all about science."

"Right. Call it science, call it instinct, it all works the same way."

"I agree to disagree, but tell me more about that person in your life. Is she a friend?"

"Kind of. I'd love for her to be at least a friend, but she doesn't, so I leave at that, for the moment at least."

Maura was starting to understand and she didn't like the direction this conversation was taking, so she decided to change the subject quickly.

"Well, right now you shouldn't focus in anyone but yourself, Jane. You have a lot on your plate and you will need all your energy to recover completely."

"Maura, stop doing that. Every time the conversation gets personal for you, you just dodge the ball and change the subject. It won't work with me anymore."

"I don't know what you're talking about, detective. Besides, you are not here to talk about me, are you? These sessions are for you to exorcise your demons and go on with your life. Nothing else."

"I know about your father, Paddy Doyle." _There it goes. God, please help me._

After a few seconds of complete astonishment, Maura reacted furiously: "What gives you the right to dig in my life, detective? Do you want me to report you to your superiors? You could get fired instantly." Maura was extremely upset and deceived. Jane didn't have the right to uncover her painful secret.

"I know you can do that, Maura. But I also know that you won't do it."

"You think you know me well, don't you? Well, you don't! You know what? Here, let me sign these release papers so you can go back to work and if you want to keep your therapy sessions, I'll transfer you to a colleague of mine." Maura signed the papers and handed them to Jane along with a professional card from another psychiatrist. But Jane didn't move.

"Go ahead, detective! You are free, go! We are done!"

"Maura, this is not what I was looking for and we are not done. Look at me." - Jane approached Maura, that had turned her back and was apparently looking out the window. The brunette put a hand on Maura's shoulder and the doctor turned around suddenly, slapping Jane hard in the face. She looked hurt and blurted out:

"You didn't have the right to investigate me. Now go, before I say things I would regret later." Maura had tears in her eyes as well as Jane, but for different reasons. One felt betrayed, the other felt that she was losing and important part of her life, her lifejacket when she felt she was drowning.

Without another word, Jane left the room and left Maura devastated.

The next days were hell for Jane. She had lost everything, even though she was allowed to go back to work. Yes, she was working every day and everything seemed to go back to normal, but it didn't. She had met an amazing person, one she felt like her soulmate yet she had disappeared as quick as she had entered her life. She missed Maura so much that she couldn't quite concentrate. Korsak noticed it, but he attributed it to her painful encounter with Hoyt. He couldn't imagine that his partner had fallen deeply in love with the shrink she was going to and now was suffering her loss. One day that she couldn't take it anymore, she asked her partner:

"What do you know about Paddy Doyle, Korsak?"

"Paddy Doyle! That's a name I haven't heard for a while... Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Well, he's from one of the most famous Irish mob families and has been an enforcer for over 30 years. He's a ruthless killer but so far we haven't been able to tie him to any of the crimes he has committed because he's also one smart son of a bitch."

"What do you know about his family? Do you know if he has any children?"

Korsak was surprised by Jane's question, but he answered anyway:

"There's nothing official, but there were some rumors in Southie about how he fell in love with a college student, she became pregnant and his father killed her and the child before it was even born."

That sentence sent Jane the chills. Maura's own grandfather wanted to kill her before she was born? What kind of monster does that? Since Jane went silent thinking about what she just had heard, Korsak got impatient.

"What's with all the questions? And why Paddy Doyle? Do you have a case I don't know anything about?"

"No, Korsak, I was just curious, I told you. Thanks for the info. Now, let's get back to our case."


	5. Chapter 5

**Heads up! Things start to heat up.**

After a few days trying to call Maura and having her calls rejected over and over again, Jane decided to go to her house. She was determined to face the music, but her job went first and they had been called to a warehouse in the docks, where a blood bath was waiting for them. Two dead and, by the looks of it, several wounded. Only that wasn't the worst part. One of the deceased was Paddy Doyle's right-hand, Colin O'Malley. He had a lot of GSWs and Jane's instinct kicked in.

"Korsak, I have to go somewhere. See you at the station."

"Jane, you can't leave like this, we have a lot of work to do."

"And I'll be there, I promise. But right now I need to do something very important, okay? Please, trust me on this."

"Whatever. But don't take too long or I won't be able to cover for you."

"Thanks."

She had to go ASAP to Maura's, because her gut was telling her that the doctor was in danger. She put the sirens and lights on and almost broke the sound barrier driving up to Maura's house. She would take care of the consequences later. The most important thing was to keep Maura safe. She parked her car in the first spot she saw, got out running and knocked on Maura's door.

There was light in the house but complete silence. She insisted, until she heard Maura say:

"Who is it?"

"Maura, it's Jane, open up please, this is important."

"Go away Jane, I'm busy right now!"

"No, please, don't send me away, let me in or at least open the door!"

"What do you want? I already said everything I had to say to you. Just leave me alone!"

"Maura, please! I won't go away until I can talk to you face to face."

After a few seconds, a click was heard and Maura opened the door, only a little bit, so she could see Jane.

"Jane, I told you, just go away, this is not the right time." She was whispering and Jane found that very odd.

"Are you alone, Maura?"

"Look, if you want to talk, alright, we will, but not here. Come to my office tomorrow at noon, okay? Now go!"

Before Maura could close the door, Jane noticed a couple of shadows hovering around, trying to hide but making their presence noticeable for Maura.

"Who's there, Maura?" Now Jane was whispering too, not to alert the intruders.

"No one. Please, go now!" Maura was about to push Jane away when one of the shadows approached the door. Since Jane knew that wasn't a friendly presence, she took hold of her gun and pointed it at the shadow, but she was too late, because someone came from behind and disarmed her, while the other presence took Maura from the neck and pointed a gun at her head.

"Detective, you better get in with the rest of us." The man threatening her was holding a gun to her back. But Jane's biggest fear wasn't for herself, but for Maura, so she complied and they all entered the house.

Inside she found none other than Paddy Doyle, laying on a long table, bleeding profusely from one arm and some medical tools and supplies scattered around him. The one holding Maura pushed her towards the mobster and told her to keep curing her father. Maura looked at Jane and demanded that Jane help her with the procedure. The thug holding Jane looked at Paddy, that gave him a wave with his hand indicating that Jane was to join Maura in attending him.

"Jane, I will need towels and hot water. The towels are over there and you can grab a bowl from under there." Said Maura signaling at the places where Jane could find everything. While Jane was retrieving the supplies, Maura started poking Paddy's arm in order to find the bullets. There were two lodged in his upper arm and she didn't have the anesthetic, but Paddy didn't mind.

"I don't care, just get those buggers out."

"There might be some nerve damage. I am not a surgeon, I could make it worse!"

"Just do it!" Paddy's voice raised, scaring Maura and angering Jane, that tried to defend the doctor, only to find a gun to her head and another one to Maura's.

"Move a muscle and you are both dead." Those minions were enjoying having the power over a BPD detective.

"Cowards. I bet you are nothing without your gun." She looked at her attacker, but he surprised her by hitting her in the head. Maura cried and wanted to attend Jane, but the other thug prevented her from doing it.

"YOU! Attend him now!" Maura was extremely angered by the situation. There was her biological father, forcing her to attend to his wounds while threatening her and Jane. The last thing she wanted was to put Jane in danger because of her complicated life and there she was, under the threat of a gun. After seeing Jane standing up, pretty shaken up but stable enough, Maura put her attention back to Paddy.

"Jane, are you okay?" She was multitasking. Attending to Paddy's arm while worrying about Jane.

"Yes, don't worry, Maura." Jane took all the objects Maura needed and took them over to the table.

"Thank you. Soak one of the towels and apply some pressure on this wound.".

Since she was just following the doctor's orders, Jane put a whole lot of pressure on Paddy's wound, making him yelp and earning a small smile from Maura.

After almost an hour, Maura finished stitching and bandaging Paddy's arm heavily. He was taxed, but so were Jane and Maura. The doctor removed all the used materials and started cleaning up a bit, when suddenly the thugs took them both and zip-tied their hands behind their back. They were forced to seat across from each other but a few feet apart.

After a couple of hours, Paddy started stirring and woke up. Maura was sure that he had developed a fever, but she wasn't going to act on it unless told otherwise. Paddy looked disoriented, but not enough to forget who he was or what he was doing there.

"Maura, you are coming with us."

"No way, you'll have to kill me before taking Maura with you, sons of bitches!"

"Jane, calm down." Maura was trying to de-escalate the situation, but she was in clear disadvantage.

"Detective, if you want to die, it will be my pleasure." Then he gestured his goons to shoot her.

Suddenly, Maura cried: "Nooooo! You kill her and you'll have to kill me too. If you want me to come with you I will, but leave Jane alone or I swear I'll kill myself." Maura was dead serious and that scared Jane almost as much as facing her own boggie-man.

"Okay, but detective Rizzoli is coming with us. That will keep you at bay."

"NO. You take only me or no one is coming with you. Your choice."

"Maura... don't do this, please." Jane whispered but Maura ignored her pleas.

"And if I hear that you harmed her or her loved ones in any way, you can forget about me. Forever, Paddy."

Paddy seemed struck by Maura's words and her determination in keeping that cop safe. What the hell was going on between the two of them? He didn't like it at all.

"Right, but first things first. Where do you keep the painkillers?

"In the cabinet of that bathroom." She signaled with her head towards a door on the left of the room.

"Go and take some pills." One of the minions complied and returned with a bottle of pills.

"Those won't do you much good with the kind of injury you have."

"They are not for me, Maura." The guy emptied a few pills on a paper towel, took a couple of glasses from the cabinet, filled them with water and mixed the pills with it.

"What? What are you talking about? No, don't do this!" The thug took Jane's face and made her swallow half of the glass. Afterwards, he did the same with Maura. The two women tried to stop coughing and when their breathing went back to normal, Paddy said:

"Ok, let's go." He stood up with the help of one of the guys while the other one took Maura by her left arm and started taking her away.

Jane tried to untie herself, but it was no use and she had to see how those mobsters took the love of her life away from her, while Maura stared at her with an apologetic look. She started feeling the effects of the sedatives. Dizziness gave way to sleepiness and she lost consciousness a while later.

The next thing she knew, she was on the floor, being shaken by some woman., that turned out to be Maura's cleaning lady. Maura was nowhere to be found and desperation took the best of Jane. She made herself a promise: she would get Maura back even if it was the last thing she would do.


	6. Chapter 6

**Are you still there? If so, thanks for sticking to the story. ;)**

Maura woke up in an unknown place. Her hands were free, but she had a massive headache. She was laying on a soft bed and the room was almost empty, with just a table, a folding chair and the bed she was on. There was a door to the right, so she woke up slowly, trying to avoid worsening her headache. Taking a few steps, she was already inside a sparse bathroom. It had a shower plate, a sink, a toilet and a mirror made out of tin foil. Everything seemed conceived to keep someone prisoner without the risk of an escape. That confirmed that she was their prisoner. But she had something in her advantage: she was Paddy's daughter and the only doctor in the house, so either way she would go in and out of the room. She checked the door, that was locked as expected, and the very tall window was barred, so no escape from there either. She would have to wait until someone came to let her out.

In the meantime, she sat on the bed again and started thinking of Jane. Her brave Jane. She had risked herself trying to free her from the burden of her father, but the mob is the mob. You need much more than braveness and determination to go against an entire organization and Jane didn't have anything else on her side than those two assets.

Suddenly, the staccato of a deadbolt woke her from her thoughts and she stood up so fast that there was an explosion inside her head. She felt dizzy and was about to fall when someone prevented from reaching the floor. When she opened her eyes, for just a split second she saw Jane, but she noticed immediately that it was some sort of hallucination because of the sedatives she was given earlier. After giving thanks to the guy that caught her, he invited her to exit the room.

Considering that her "bedroom" was in the basement, they had to go up a few stairs and cross a couple of hallways to reach their destination: a well-lit and spacious bedroom where Paddy was trying to recover from his injuries. As she had suspected earlier, he was running a fever and it looked higher now than the last time Maura saw him.

"Maura." Paddy almost begged her with just a whisper. She approached him under the inquisitive look of the same employees that were at her house.

She undid the bandage she had applied before and noticed that one of the wounds was infected.

"I was afraid of that." I will need Erythocin, alcohol, sutures, gloves and all medical supplies you can find. The two guys didn't move at first, but Maura imposed herself:

"Now! Or do you want your master to die?" That made the trick and they sprung to life, leaving father and daughter alone.

Paddy looked miserable, but he managed to whisper: "I'm sorry about all this, Maura."

"About what? You mean the threats, the kidnapping, keeping me locked up like a hostage, you being a mobster? I don't really know."

"Everything. You are my daughter and I love you."

"Don't you dare say that! Is this your way of showing love? By forcing me to be your doctor? You don't even know what love is."

"Yes I do. I loved your mother very much. She was the love of my life and you are the fruit of that love. Of course I love you, Maura. You will be my daughter no matter how much you deny it. We share DNA and family is the most important thing. Don't ever forget that."

Paddy seemed to lose the only strength he had and he fell asleep, or maybe lost consciousness. He left Maura frustrated and upset. What could this stranger know about love? A killer? The worst part for her was sharing DNA with him. Could she have bad genes too? Could she someday become a murderer or some kind of criminal? That was her worst fear.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters, Jane had to face her boss grilling her about how she could not leave her job to run personal errands and all that jazz. What intended to be a short visit tp Maura turned out to be her disappearance for the entire night and part of the next morning. Besides, the huge headache she was feeling was making her miserable. It couldn't get worse, or could it?

"You are suspended for three days without pay. Next time think better about where your priorities are."

"But sir, a well renouned psychiatrist was kidnapped last night by the Irish mob. Shouln't we search for her?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll put some men into the case. Just go home and don't repeat the same stupidity again or it'll get you fired!"

 _Shit. Great start after my leave of absence. Screw it, I'll use these days to focus on my_ _search for Maura._

She left her badge and gun on her boss's desk and exited the building without even talking to Korsak of her brother. Before starting her car, she took her cell and dialed a number she knew by heart. She had many informants, but her favorite was Rondo. He knew all about the streets, had a lot of contacts and was fast and efficient. Besides, he was a nice guy to deal with.

"Vanillaaaa! How's my sweet mama doing?"

"Stop it, Rondo, I'm not in the mood. See you at the docks in thirty."

"Wait, vanil..."

Jane hung up. She really wasn't in the mood. The only person that could cheer her up was the only person she couldn't find and it would prove to be a very difficult task.

As expected, Rondo was already at the docks when Jane arrived. The docks were a big place, but they had met there more than once and they knew the spot where they could find each other discretely, between a few cargo containers. Rondo spotted Jane and more seriously than ever, asked her:

"What's wrong, detective? You sounded upset."

"I am upset. I've been suspended for three days and a very good friend of mine has been abducted. That's why I need you. You have a lot of friends in different places and I need you to find out anything at all about the whereabouts of Paddy Doyle. Where he is, who he is with, anything at all. It's very important. And also, be very discrete, we don't want him to know about my investigation and disappear from the face of the earth, got it?" Jane handed him a hundred dollars, knowing that this was a especially difficult job.

"Sure, I'll start right now. Do you need anything else?"

"No, thanks."

"Is she a special friend? You look really upset."

"Let's just say that my life changed the moment I met her."

"Got it. We'll get her back, vanilla." Rondo patted her shoulder and Jane smiled half-heartedly. He was definitely a good man and she knew he was trustworthy.

"Thank you, Rondo. See you soon."

In an unknown place of the city, Maura was working hard to fight against Paddy's infection and fever. She had already re-stitched his infected wound, applied alcohol and re-bandaged it, but she still had to see if the antibiotics he was receiving intravenously would work or not. If the answer was no, the result could be catastrophic for him, and she knew that for her too, because those thugs that were watching her every single move would kill her the moment their boss died. Therefore, it was in her best interest to keep him alive.

Hours went by. Maura checked Paddy's pulse and temperature and noticed an improvement in his state. The fever was slowly going down and his heart rate was already stable. It looked like the antibiotics were working and that calmed her nerves. Maybe when he was able to talk, she would convince him to let her go. He couldn't keep her hostage forever, she had patients to attend and a life of her own. The minions had brought her something to eat, so while she was waiting for Paddy to wake up, she helped herself. While eating, she thought about Jane and how would she be doing. Maura hoped that she wasn't going crazy thinking about her, because she had become noticeably dependent of Maura and that worried the doctor. She couldn't help but think of their last conversation before that night at her house. Jane was intending to get to know her, but Maura wasn't comfortable with the idea. She liked Jane a lot, so the fact that Jane could ever know her terrified her because she was convinced that Jane would reject her as soon as she discovered the real Maura.

With all those thoughts in her mind, Paddy started to move. He finally opened his eyes and looked at Maura. He seemed more oriented and asked immediately for water. Maura complied by giving him some water from a glass she had put next to him. Once he was finished, Maura couldn't wait anymore, so she got to the point.

"When will you let me go? You can't keep me here forever."

"Patience, my daughter."

"Don't you call me that! And how much more patience do you expect me to have? I don't belong here, I don't belong to you and I have my own life to live!"

She stood up and Paddy admired her. She looked so much like her mother and his love for her went through the roof. She was right. She had her own life and he didn't have the right to make her follow his path outside the law. He would set her free as soon as he was able to walk.

Jane was driving throughout the city without any destination in mind. Her mind was only focused on Maura and where she could be. She knew she wouldn't find her just roaming the streets, but she couldn't just stay home and wait for Rondo to give her something. At least this way she felt that she was doing something, albeit useless.

After a few hours of fruitless search, she went home. Suddenly her apartment looked like a jail and her thoughts started going back to that place she had almost left behind: Hoyt. She started sweating and trembling and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor with a bottle of scotch beside her and crying like a baby.

Before she could open the bottle and drown her sorrows in alcohol, her cell rang. It was an unknown number but she answered anyway and the best surprise was about to happen: it was Maura.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Thank you for your reviews so far and for keeping interest in this little story. I hope you enjoy. :)**

"MAURA! Where are you, are you ok?"

"Jane, I'm ok, don't worry. You sound upset. How are you?"

"Are you kidding me? I was going crazy not knowing where or how you were and you ask me how I am?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't call you before. As soon as I'm free I'll come over so we can talk. I have to go. Take care, Jane, and don't you dare drink or you'll have a hell to pay."

"Wait, where are you?"

"I can't say but they are about to let me go, so don't worry and don't look for me either, I'll be there soon."

"Alright, Maura. I promise I won't touch the bottle I was about to open. Please, don't take long."

"I won't. Good bye, Jane."

"Bye, Maura." Jane was more than relieved, although she really wanted to see Maura and check for herself that the doctor was really unharmed. That and hug her like there was no one else in the world.

Once again, Maura was the one to save Jane from her desperation. At least now she knew that she was fine and, hopefully, they would meet again soon. Instead of drinking the whole bottle of whiskey, Jane decided to take a shower and tidy up her apartment, so that when Maura came, it looked slightly presentable.

Meanwhile, Maura hung up carefully so that the goon she had stolen the cell from wouldn't notice. She flushed and exited to bathroom, only to be confronted with a pissed guy taking her roughly from the arm and dragging her towards Paddy.

"Come here! Who do you think you are, stealing my phone and calling your cop friend behind our backs, uh?"

He took her to Paddy's room and pushed her towards his boss.

"Boss, this one was calling her cop friend!"

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Paddy asked:

"Is that true, Maura? Were you calling that detective of yours?"

"Yes, I was. I told her not to look for me because you would set me free immediately. Am I wrong, Paddy?" Maura said firmly.

"If you keep doing stupid things like that you will definitely be wrong." Paddy was challenging her, but Maura knew him too well, so she insisted:

"AM I WRONG, PADDY?"

"Take her to her room." The goon was about to grasp her arm when she dodged him and run towards Paddy. Looking at his eyes intently, she told him:

"Paddy, you can't do this. You insist that you love me but you won't let me go. What kind of love is that?" At that moment, the guy finally took her arm and was about to lead her to her cell when Paddy ordered:

"Stop." They both stopped in their tracks. "Leave her." And with a wave of his hand, Maura was free of the guy. She then faced her father again.

"You feel better. Your fever is broken and you'll be able to walk in no time. You don't need me here anymore and you know it. Please let me go."

Paddy seemed to think about his decision and suddenly he said:

"You, take her home." Signaling to one of his employees. "Maura, we'll have to blindfold you so that you can't find this place, but it's only a precaution. I hope you don't mind."

"I do mind. But if it's the price I have to pay to get out of here, then so be it."

"Is it that awful to spend time with your father?" Paddy looked upset.

"It wouldn't be if you weren't who you are. But that's something that can't be undone."

"Maura, I love you no matter what. I promise that I won't intervene in your life anymore. Sorry that you had to go through all this. It won't happen again."

"I wished you could keep that promise, but I'm sure this won't be the last time I will see you. Good-bye, Paddy."

With that, Maura exited the room with the minion and Paddy was left with tears in his eyes. He couldn't stand the thought of his own daughter hating him, but he would anything to keep his promise while looking out for her too.

Back in Jane's apartment, she was becoming more and more agitated. Time was passing by and there was no sign of Maura. When she was about to check her watch for the thousandth time, there was a small knock on her door. Jane jumped and went running to the door, but before opening it, she asked.

"Who's there?" Even though she was hopeful that Maura was on the other side of the door, she had become more careful since Hoyt entered her life.

"It's Maura." Jane's heart skipped a beat and she opened the door in a millisecond.

"Maura." They looked at each other for about five seconds before Jane took her in her arms with all the strength she was capable of, making Maura a little uncomfortable. The doctor wasn't used to such a display of affection and it took her a few moments to reciprocate the hug.

After they broke the hug, Jane ushered Maura inside the apartment and closed the door. They sat on the couch and Jane started grilling the psychiatrist:

"Where have you been? Are you ok? Did they hurt you in any way?"

"Calm down, Jane, I'm fine. They didn't harm me or anything. My father is a mobster, but he wouldn't hurt me on purpose. Despite who he is, he loves me, or at least that's what he says over and over again."

"What about you? Do you love him?" Jane's voice was soft because she knew this was a sore subject for Maura and didn't want to sound judgmental or pushy.

"No. I could never love a man that has done so many terrible things. He's a monster and I'm his daughter." Maura lowered her head, as if she was ashamed of herself. She was about to cry, so Jane took her chin carefully:

"Look at me, Maura. You are nothing like him. " A tear started running down Maura's cheek and Jane swept it lovingly with her thumb.

"You don't know that, Jane!" She stood up suddenly. "You don't even know me. How could you possibly know if I'm evil or not? You might have investigated me but you haven't followed me throughout my life."

Jane stayed seated and this situation reminded her of the session at Maura's office when the roles were turned and Jane was the one upset while Maura was the one trying to put some sense in it all. The detective remained calm and stated:

"I know you can't be evil because I'm a good judge of character. Despite of what you think of me, my job has made me an expert in human behavior. Maura, you're a good person. If you weren't, you wouldn't have become a doctor in the first place."

That sentence made Maura stop pacing and look directly at Jane.

"I became a doctor because my mother was one. A great doctor, actually."

"Tell me about your mother. How was she? Is she alive?"

"No." Maura sat down again, this time more relaxed. That gesture made Jane certain that the conversation was going well. "My mother died when I was six. She came from a wealthy family, so I inherited her money when I was eighteen."

"Who raised you then?"

"My uncle and aunt. I'm pretty sure that they hated me, so our relationship was almost inexistent. I decided to enroll myself in a boarding school just to stay away from them. My uncle became the administrator of mi inheritance, but he didn't manage to spend it all because, as soon as I became eighteen, I withdrew all the money and put it in charitable endowments. I just reserved a little part for my studies and my life. My uncle and aunt haven't talked to me ever since. It's better that way."

Now Jane understood so many things. Why Maura was so private, so understanding with others.

"How did you know that Paddy is your father?"

"I tried to investigate, but all the records were useless and there were confidential documents I couldn't access. After a while, I let it go. I had grown up without a father and I didn't need him in my life. But the day I became eighteen and withdrew all the money, my uncle was so pissed off that the took his revenge by dropping the bombshell of my father's identity. And it worked. After he told me his name and that the guy was a monster, I started my research on Paddy and all the results I got were news about his crimes. All the victims, the blood, the drug dealing... Everything. That's how I knew that I have the DNA of a killer running through my veins."

After that confession, Jane took Maura's hand and squeezed it gently.

A few seconds in silence later, Jane asked her one more thing:

"How come you were crying in front of that gravestone, Maura?"

"You saw me?" Maura seemed alarmed.

"Yes, I followed you one day. That's how I discovered that you are Doyle's daughter."

Maura became agitated again. She stood up and started rambling. "I... You shouldn't have seen that." Another tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it out angrily.

"I'm sorry. But I was so fascinated with you that I needed to know about your life. I'm so sorry, you are right, I shouldn't have followed you that day." Jane stood up too and approached Maura until they were just a few inches apart.

 **Yes, I'm evil, leaving you with a cliffhanger. :P**


	8. Chapter 8

Maura and Jane were face to face. The sexual tension was palpable, but neither was moving a muscle. They just looked at each other intensely. Until Jane thought:

 _Screw it, I'm jumping off the bridge._

Her heart-rate was a thousand beats per second, but she managed to caress Maura's face. Seeing that the doctor was reacting well, with her eyes closed, Jane approached her lips to Maura's and kissed her shyly. The kiss just lasted a couple of seconds, until both parted lips and stared at each other again.

Maura's first impulse was to run. She couldn't handle this right now. She just needed to be alone.

"Sorry, Jane, I can't do this now."

"Maura! Maura, please, don't go, please! I'm sorry, I won't do that again, but don't leave me!"

"I just can't." They were both crying. Maura took the door and left an astonished Jane alone in her apartment.

"No..." She was about to fall down the floor, but instead, she managed to find the courage to go after Maura.

Since the doctor had parked three blocks away, Jane had time to catch her. She took the honey blonde from behind and spun her around.

"Don't leave me this way, Maura. I know what I did is wrong and it won't happen again, but please, don't leave me." She sounded desperate, because she really was. Maura felt bad for her.

She took Jane's hands in hers. "Jane... It's not that I didn't like your kiss. It's just that... I have so much in my plate today, that I don't have the strength to engage on a personal relationship right now. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Maura, it's completely ok. I don't want to force you. I just want to be by your side, through thick and thin, even if it's just like friends, but please, don't leave me."

After those words, they hugged each other so intensely that the rest of the world disappeared for them.

They went back to Jane's apartment and Maura asked her something she wasn't really expecting:

"Why are you doing all this for me, Jane? I'm not used to people taking care of me and you are. But why? Do I really deserve all your effort?"

"Why? You have saved my life a lot of times. I owe you everything, Maura. Besides, you are the best person I know and you still have doubts about yourself?"

"Jane, first of all, I didn't save your life, you did it yourself. Second of all, you don't know me enough to say that I'm the best person you know and third, it's not easy for me to receive help from anybody else because I've been independent for a very long time. I appreciate it, but you don't need to do this."

"You are wrong. You did save my life. Every time you listened to my paranoias, that night when you came here to calm me when I couldn't sleep because of the nightmares, every advice you've given me. Even today, when you called me to my cell to tell me that you were coming home! I was about to drink a whole bottle of scotch and feel miserable all over again! But suddenly, the phone rings and there you are, with your beautiful voice to the rescue. Believe me, Maura, you have become essential in my life, so to me, whether I really know you or not, you are the best person I know."

Maura didn't say anything but started denying with her head. She didn't believe Jane.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that you are such an amazing person, Maura?"

"Because I'm just not. You've just idealized me because I was there when you needed help, that's all. I was just doing my job, nothing else."

"Right, so if you are such an awful person, tell me bad things that you have done in your life and prove me wrong. Otherwise, I won't believe you. And for the record, you went above and beyond your job to help me."

"I've never been a social person. I've always felt more comfortable with books. Therefore, I chose the branch of medicine that involved less people. Besides, the psyche fascinates me. We have a whole world inside our brain. That's why there aren't two identic individuals on Earth."

"Alright. Go on."

"What do you want me to say? That I harmed someone? That I stole? Or cheated in my exams? Because I didn't."

"I believe you. So, what have you done wrong in life to consider yourself such a bad person?"

"I... don't know... I've always wondered why nobody wanted me or why I looked so weird to others, but I've never gotten any answer. And it turns out that there is actually one person that loves me and he would be the last person on the planet I would love. I guess that's my life."

It wasn't self-pity, Maura was just resigned to her own fate.

"Actually, there are two people that love you, Maura. I'm not saying this to put any kind of pressure on you. I'm just saying this so that you understand that you are loved. I love you with all my heart and there is only you to blame for that."

Jane decided not to move, because in that moment she only wanted to hug and kiss Maura, but she knew that the doctor was feeling too much pressure and Jane didn't want to add even more. To lower the tension, she concluded.

"Now it's not the time to discuss this, but know that I'll wait as long as you need and, if you ever feel that we can only be friends, I'll accept it too. I just want you in my life, no matter what."

Maura was silent all along, until she couldn't take it anymore and planted an amazing kiss on Jane's lips. At first, she was caught off guard, so Jane didn't react, but when the action registered in her mind, the kiss became heated, almost feral. There was so much sexual tension between them that they needed to release it in any way possible.

When oxygen was an urgent matter, they parted lips but their foreheads stayed together. Maura caressed one side of Jane's face while Jane did the same with the other side of Maura's. They didn't need words, because they were expressing themselves with their bodies.

After a while, Jane asked softly:

"Where have you been my entire life, Maura Isles?"

"Why are you so good to me, Jane Rizzoli?"

"Because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"No. I believe in the chemical reaction that triggers in our brain when we feel attracted to someone. But love at first sight is a myth."

"A myth or not, I fell in love with you the second I saw you. And when you said the first word, that certainly did the trick."

"Seriously?

"Yes. You took my breath away from the start. Do you want me to show you how much?" Jane took Maura from the back of her head and planted a kiss on her lips, with a mixture of passion and tenderness that convinced Maura of Jane's honesty.

"Do you want to go to my room?" Maura swallowed hard at that suggestion.

"You see... I'm not really sure."

"You're not? How so?"

"Because..." Her face became a dark shade of red and Jane got a little scared of her possible rejection. "I've never been with a woman before." Maura lowered her head, ashamed of her statement.

Jane was relieved to hear that. With a small smile, she took Maura's face, caressed both sides and reassured her: "You have nothing to worry about. I've never been with a woman before. We'll learn together. We'll just follow our instinct and desire."

That made Maura feel better. Maybe it would be a good idea to learn with someone at her same level. _Oh, stop being so analytic and go with the flow already!_

 **WARNING: Explicit sexual content ahead.**

She took Jane's hands and guided her to the bedroom. They were both nervous and excited, expectant of how their first experience together would be. Jane took the lead and started kissing Maura's neck. That gained a moan from Maura, that began caressing Jane's tangled hair. As expected, their instinct really took over and they stopped thinking about their next move.

Maura wanted to unbutton her blouse, but Jane prevented her from doing it because she wanted to do it herself. Slowly, as if drinking of the doctor's scent, the brunette traced her curves with her hands, arousing Maura even more. Then, she unbuttoned her blouse slowly, planting a kiss in every spot that became exposed. Following the same routine, they got rid of the rest of their clothes and let their desire guide them the rest of the way.

Maura was starstruck by Jane's skills. Her body was on fire and she couldn't remember a single man that made her feel so much before the real sexual intercourse. She couldn't help but massage Jane's soft breasts and lick her nipples, triggering a cascade of sensations from the detective. "Maura, you feel so good." Jane managed to whisper with the little breath she had left.

Maura responded by laying her down on the bed, straddling her and covering her entire body with kisses, while parting her legs with one hand to start caressing her left thigh up and down. Getting close to her core, she made Jane moan uncontrollably, making the exchange even more arousing for both. Maura then placed one finger on Jane's clit and began rubbing it, at first slowly. When the detective's body arched in pleasure, Maura accelerated her ministrations and added a finger in her center. Jane was so wet that it was immediately soaked. The doctor started moving it in and out carefully, letting Jane get used to the pleasant intrusion. She stopped just to admire Jane's features, taking in every expression, every moan her detective gave her. After a few moments, with her eyes still closed, Jane whispered:

"Give me more, please."

Maura complied. She sped up her strokes and even added another finger, making Jane jump out of pleasure.

"Yes. You're a goddess."

Maura stopped her ministrations without taking her fingers out of Jane's core, approached Jane's face and whispered flirtatiously to her ear: "Am I your goddess, Jane?"

That turned Jane on even more, if possible, so she took Maura roughly by the back of her head and before crashing her lips on the doctor's, she added: "Yes you are my only goddess. I adore you." And she kissed her fiercely.

Suddenly, Maura went down again and took Jane's clit with her mouth.

"Oh my God, Maura!" Jane's body arched. "More, please!"

The doctor licked Jane's clit a few times and started stroking Jane's center faster and faster. She started feeling Jane's walls contracting until one last stroke sent the brunette to the edge, but she was so spent that didn't have the strength to cry. Her body convulsed and she lost all muscle control.

For her part, Maura couldn't have enough of Jane's features while she was having an orgasm. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen and she was already looking forward to seeing it again.


	9. AN

Hey guys. I have about 15k more words written, but seeing the lack of interest in this story, I'll cut it short. Next chapter will be the last. I guess it's not worth your time or my effort. Thank you to those few who have reviewed and favorited, I really appreciate it. Take care.


	10. Chapter 9

**Wow... I honestly wasn't expecting such amount of reviews asking me to continue the story, so I will go on. There will be a total of 18 chapters (9 more to go) and I hope you enjoy them. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, it means a lot.**

 **ATTENTION: More explicit sexual content ahead.**

After a few minutes that Jane needed to recover, she opened her eyes, only to find a smiling Maura admiring her. They were laying side to side, so Jane decided to kiss her doctor tenderly.

"You really are a skilled person, doc. Wow. That's the best sex I've ever had. For the record, I will repay you, I just need a few minutes to get back on my feet."

"You are beautiful, you know that?" Maura's words were full so of tenderness, that she melted Jane's heart.

"So are you, Maura Isles." She couldn't help but caress Maura's right cheek.

They spent a few minutes in silence, just enjoying each other's company, with their arms and legs entangled, until Jane asked:

"Do you trust me?"

Maura was surprised, but she answered anyway: "Of course I do, Jane."

"Then, lie face down and close your eyes."

After a couple of seconds of confusion, Maura complied and Jane sat on Maura's legs, taking a minute to admire Maura's curves and her perfect skin. Suddenly, she started tracing her back with soft fingers, giving Maura goosebumps of pleasure. She slowly traced the shape of her neck, paying special attention to the area around the ears. Then, she went down following her spinal column, caressing every inch of her skin in the process.

Maura was feeling everything with such an intensity that she already needed to feel Jane inside of her, but she resisted the temptation of begging, because she trusted Jane and knew that she was about to give her the best climax of her life.

When she felt that Maura was turned on, she changed tactics and repeated the same trajectory on her body with her mouth this time. As expected, Maura started moaning and Jane was pleased that she was slowly taking her doctor to a blissful state. She decided to combine her oral ministrations with a soft breast massage and she detected Maura's nipples hard as a rock.

"Do you like this?" She asked to Maura's ear with her very sensual voice.

"Yes, I love it." Answered Maura breathlessly.

"Good." Without warning, she touched Maura's wet area and Maura moaned louder. But she decided to make Maura's agony even more painful and started teasing her sensitive spot, without entering any of her fingers. That earned a shy protest from the doctor, that was really agonizing inside.

"Jane, please." But Jane had other plans.

"Lie back up." Since Maura was so desperate for release, she did.

The brunette wanted to repeat the entire previous process with the rest of Maura's body, but the doctor couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't. Not again, please. I need you now."

"Your wish is my command." Without delay, Jane went down, positioned her head between Maura's legs and started licking her core.

"Oh goooood!"

Turns out that Jane was very skilled with her tongue and managed to hit every single of Maura's nerves, triggering a chain of explosions inside the doctor's body. Even though she hadn't reached her climax yet, she was on the edge.

To add more tension to the moment, Jane completely stopped, frustrating Maura.

Catching her breath, Maura asked outraged: "What are you doing?"

"Shush, trust me, I know what I'm doing, Maura."

A minute later, Jane decided to spike things up and put a finger inside Maura's center. The doctor wasn't expecting such a move, so her body arched in pleasure. Only Jane went farther and added another finger and started pounding hard and fast. It didn't take long for Maura to reach the biggest orgasm of her life. Her body was still trembling from the aftermath, but Jane wanted more, so she licked Maura's juices and repeated her tongue movements, upside down, in and out, not letting Maura recover from her last climax. She used her thumb to rub Maura's clit and inserted another finger in the doctor's most sensitive area. And another one. This time, though, her movements were slower, in order to let Maura feel every single sensation Jane was arousing in her.

"Jane!" Maura was going crazy. She never thought that she could ever feel such a sweet yet painful agony.

Jane complied and picked up the pace to the point that her movements felt more like vibrations inside Maura's body and the result didn't take long: another incredible orgasm that left Maura officially spent. Jane drank those delicious juices and went to lie next to a sweaty and very happy Maura. The detective was proud of herself. She had repaid her doctor the best way possible and now was the time to enjoy the rest of the night hugging and sleeping fitfully.

"I love you, Maura." Whispered Jane to Maura's ear.

"I love you too." She managed to reply still panting.

They slept like babies for the rest of the night. Jane didn't even have a single nightmare but was the first to wake up. She used those minutes of total bliss to watch the love of her life. She was extremely beautiful by day, but when sleeping, she was simply breathtaking. Her peaceful state, that perfect face, those sensual lips... Everything was appealing to Jane. Before Maura woke up, Jane couldn't wait anymore and kissed those soft lips, effectively waking the doctor up.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Jane was in the best mood ever.

"Mmmmm... Good morning..." They kissed briefly again.

"I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?" The detective wasn't joking, she could use some morning sex with the best person ever.

"Oh, I'm afraid not. Go ahead, I'll shower later. Sorry Jane, but I'm very tired."

"Don't worry, my love, I understand."

After a half an hour, they were both refreshed and having some coffee in Jane's kitchen.

"So? Did you sleep well?" Asked Jane in a playful tone.

"A little. But someone kept me awake for most part of the night." Maura's tone was playful too.

More seriously, Jane continued the conversation: "Maura, I was thinking something. I hope you don't mind me asking and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... Had you ever met Paddy before the other day's... encounter?"

Maura was taken aback by that sudden change of subject and she doubted at first. She didn't really like to talk about that, but since Jane had become involuntarily involved in her relationship with Paddy, she had the right to know all about it.

"Yes, I had. When my uncle told me about him, I started digging, so I had seen a few pictures of Paddy throughout the years. I memorized his features but I never tried to make contact with him". - Maura took a deep breath, because this was a hard conversation to have- "The day of my college graduation ceremony, I had no one, but I looked among the attendants just out of curiosity. As expected, there were a lot of proud moms and dads, but something caught my eye. There was someone way back, alone, as if waiting for one student to appear. And it turns out that it was me who he was waiting, because when I took the stand, he stood up and started taking pictures. As soon as I left the stand, I went towards him. He noticed, so he started retrieving back, but I didn't let him. I confronted him, told him that he was not my father, that he was a monster and that I didn't want to see him ever again. He left devastated, but I didn't care. I didn't want a killer to be a part of my family in any way. That was the one time I saw him before the other night."

"I'm sorry, Maura, I didn't mean to upset you. Come here." She hugged the psychiatrist tenderly, as if in protection mode.

"Sorry, Jane, but I need to go home, change clothes and go to my office. Yesterday I was absent all day and my patients need me." She was upset, but also conscious that she couldn't let down the people that trusted her every day. "Don't you have to go to the station?"

 _Oh, right, she doesn't know about the suspension._ "Actually, not today. I took a couple of days off. That's ok, I could use some relax. I'll do some groceries, laundry and all the domestic crap."

That made Maura smile. So very Jane. "Good, have fun then." She loved to tease the brunette.

"Ha, ha, very funny. You too, have fun with your crackpots."

Maura went dead serious. "Don't call them that. They are normal people with some problems to solve. You, more than anyone should know that by now." Maura was fiercely protective of her patients.

 _Shit, I went too far._ Her face went red and she felt ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Maura, you are right. I shouldn't make fun of your patients."

Maura knew Jane was completely honest, so she accepted her apology. "Fine. See you later?"

"Sure! Do you want me to come over or to pick you up anywhere?"

"I'll call you later and let you know. Bye, love." She kissed Jane briefly on the lips.

"Bye."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Things are going to get more complicated for our girls.**

 **WARNING: Mentions of suicide in this chapter.**

Time went by for the couple. Jane was allowed to go back to work and Maura attended her patients as always. The great change for them was at night, when they would be together and mainly make love. They didn't get tired of each other and they were learning new tricks to reach a higher peak of pleasure. They already knew their bodies by heart, so it was fairly easy to find the most sensitive spots to generate the best reaction on the other.

One night they were in Jane's bedroom, sleeping, when Maura's cell started to ring. It rang a few times, stopped and the call repeated itself for a few times. The problem was that Maura didn't hear it, because the phone was inside Maura's purse, in Jane's living room and the door to Jane's bedroom was closed. Eventually, the phone stopped ringing.

The next morning, they were doing their usual routine when Maura remembered that she had left her cell out of her reach. _Let's hope no one called me last night._ She couldn't be more wrong. In fact, the next call she received was the one she never wanted to answer.

"Hello?"

 _"Doctor Maura Isles?"_

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?"

 _"This is detective Korsak, from BPD. Do you have a moment? I have a few routine questions I need to ask you."_

"What is it about? I have patients coming to my office any moment." _Please, don't let it be about Paddy, please..._

 _"This is concerning Roger Stephens. I understand he was your patient?"_

"Was? No, he still is my patient. Why?"

 _"I'm afraid we found him dead this morning. It looks like a suicide, but we must make some inquiries first."_

Maura felt nauseated. The missed calls she had on her cell were from Roger. He was so desperate that he needed her and she wasn't there for him. She had failed terribly and he had paid with his life.

 _"Doctor, are you there?"_

She took a few deep breaths before answering again. "Yes, I'm here. How can I help you?" Her voice was trembling.

"Would you be able to come to the station today, please?"

"Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you."

They hung up. Maura had to sit on the couch because her legs felts like jelly. Jane didn't hear the conversation, but as soon as Maura left her cell down, she knew something was terribly wrong.

She went immediately to Maura's side. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She took her in her arms and let the doctor cry desperately. Jane was starting to panic. What was wrong with her love?

After a few minutes of intense crying from Maura and soothing from Jane, the psychiatrist could start talking.

"That was detective Korsak, from BPD."

"What? Korsak called you? Was it something about Paddy?"

"No, that was my first thought too, but it was about one of my patients."

 _Oh God, no._ "Something happened to one of your patients, honey?"

Maura was wiping the last tears off her face and trying to calm herself. "Roger Stephens. He had a bipolar disorder. I gave him some medication to overcome the worst states of his condition, but he committed suicide last night. Korsak wanted me to go to the station and answer some questions."

"Oh God... I'm terribly sorry, Maura. But this is not your fault, you tried your best but sometimes the condition wins."

"That's not true, Jane!" She cried untangling herself from the embrace. "I didn't do anything to prevent his suicide! Do you want to know something? He called me last night eleven times but I didn't hear the phone so I never answered! I wasn't there for him when he needed me the most. I FAILED HIM, JANE!" She started crying again but this time she wouldn't let Jane hold her. That hurt the brunette a little, but she dismissed it because she knew that Maura was extremely upset.

"I need to go."

"No wait! Maura, please, don't leave like this, talk to me!"

"There's nothing to talk. I have things to do. Bye."

She took the door and left, leaving an astonished Jane behind. What the hell just happened?

Jane went to work as always, only this time she was dying inside. She didn't know what the consequences of the scene between them were going to be or where they were in their relationship. Could Maura leave her? Blame her for neglecting her patients? She decided to submerge herself in paperwork.

What she wasn't expecting was to see Maura at the station, more composed and asking for detective Korsak. As soon as she spotted the doctor, she stood up and went to her side, but Maura reacted coldly and dismissed her whispering: "Not now, Jane."

The detective couldn't believe Maura's behavior towards her. She would definitely go to her house in the evening and talk face to face, but right now, there was a questioning to attend.

"Ah, doctor Isles." Korsak shook hands with Maura. "Please take a seat." She complied. "How long was Roger Stephens your patient?"

"Two and a half years."

"Did you notice any change of demeanor in him the last days?"

"He had a very complicated condition. His moods were constantly changing, but with therapy and the prescription drugs I gave him, I thought everything was under control." Jane was watching Maura intently and saw the grief she was suffering for the loss of her patient.

"Could you tell me what drugs you prescribed him, please?"

"Yes, they are all in his record. I brought it with me just in case you needed any specific information. The tapes remain in my custody, though. I want our conversations to remain private, to respect his right to intimacy. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me." Maura wanted the conversation to be over as soon as possible.

"We have checked Roger's phone records and there are eleven calls to your cell phone last night. Can you confirm it?"

"Yes. I didn't answer the phone because I never heard it." Maura's voice broke and she went silent again. Jane was watching the conversation from her desk, trying not to disturb the doctor with her stare.

"Do you know if Roger had any enemies? Any specific concern for his life besides his disorder?"

"He never mentioned anything about it. I don't think he had enemies, he was a very reserved person and didn't have a big social life. He worked from home and had only one living parent. He was an only child."

"Alright. We'll keep you posted about the results of our investigation. Thank you, doctor." They stood up, shook hands again and Maura didn't even turn around to look at Jane, she just went away. That hurt the brunette the most. They would definitely have that conversation.

Hours went by and Jane's shift was over. She knew that Maura would be at home by then, but she opted to go to her apartment first, freshen up, calm her nerves and then drive to Maura's. That didn't help her much though, because on the way over, Jane started reliving their last conversation and ended up mad at the doctor. It wasn't her fault that a patient of hers had committed suicide, for God's sake!

She parked her car and took a few deep breaths because she knew that yelling at Maura wouldn't solve anything. A few seconds later, she knocked on Maura's door. The doctor looked very serious when she opened the door and let Jane in. To smooth things, Jane asked softly:

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm mad." Jane was about to protest when Maura waved her hand and went on: "No, Jane, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I lost focus and a patient paid the consequences. I let my personal life interfere with my job and a man died for that."

"Maura, when will you understand that this is not your fault? You are their therapist, not their babysitter!"

"It's not that simple, Jane! As long as my patients are under my supervision, I am responsible for them. Before I met you, I dedicated all my time to improve their lives, but then you appeared in my life and everything changed. You made me change and I don't want that!"

Jane couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maura blamed her for that man's death? Really?

"You must be kidding me. It is my fault that a nutcase decided to end his own life?"

"Don't you dare call him that. And no, it's not your fault. It is mine, for letting you distract me so easily. I should have stopped you before, but I didn't and now one of my patients is dead and I'm second-guessing myself as a professional. Thank you, Jane."

"Unbelievable, just unbelievable. So you blame yourself for having a life outside your job and you blame me for falling in love with you. That's great. That's it? You're going to end our relationship just like that?"

Maura felt a pang in her heart. She was being unfair with Jane, that much she knew, but she couldn't keep having a relationship with her if that would have consequences in the most important thing in her life: her job. With half a voice, she answered. "I'm afraid so."

Jane went silent. She just looked at Maura like a child who had just lost a parent. Her face went white and her eyes had unshed tears. Before saying anything else she could regret later, she left the house.

Maura felt her heart brake. That was the most difficult conversation of her life, even worse than when she met Paddy for the first time, and she felt empty inside. Maybe she had made the biggest mistake of her life, but right now, she didn't know how to solve it without making matter worst.


	12. Chapter 11

Jane was having the worst time of her life. She felt heartbroken, betrayed, sad and lonely. Maura, who she still loved with all her heart, had just left her because she was a nuisance for her career. Jane couldn't understand what she had done wrong. She had dedicated her last months to cherish every minute with the doctor. She had improved her life habits to leave her monsters behind. She had done everything by the book to make things work and yet she still ended up alone and miserable.

Before going home after a long work day, she stopped at a liquor store and bought a couple of the cheapest whiskey bottles, thinking: _Screw it, I'm getting wasted tonight._

When she arrived home, she left her keys carelessly on the table, took a glass from the cupboard and opened a bottle. She smelt the liquid first and strangely, it didn't smell good. Not because it wasn't good, but because suddenly she wasn't looking forward to drinking it, so she left the bottle untouched for the rest of the night and went to bed without having dinner.

As expected, she woke up in the middle of the night, soaking wet and panting after the worst nightmare yet. In this one, Hoyt didn't just have her, he had Maura too and he was about to rape the doctor when she woke up screaming. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath and leave her demons aside. She was in real need of hearing Maura's voice, but she knew that the doctor wouldn't be there for her. Not now. Not anymore.

For her part, Maura wasn't feeling any better. She had never felt like this and it was disconcerting. She was happy enough with her job, without any romantic complication, until Jane appeared without any warning and put her world upside down. She had tried hard to forget Jane, at least for a while, but the detective was present in every thought she had. Her heart was taking the lead in her life and that frustrated her.

One day when she couldn't take it anymore, she decided to call Jane. She didn't even know what to say to her, but at least she wanted to hear her voice. But the detective didn't answer the phone and Maura didn't insist.

Turns out that Jane was having a shower after another hellish night full of nightmares, so she never heard her cell ringing. When she was about to check it out, it started ringing again but it wasn't Maura. Korsak was calling her to join him in a police stake. They had a possible murder suspect but they needed to watch him in order to build a case. She accepted, hung up and went straight to work without having a coffee, decision that she would regret later on.

The guy they had to watch was a well-known drug-dealer with ties to the Eastern European mob. Jane joined Korsak in his car and he put her up to speed on the case. That would be a long stakeout, so she went to buy some food and drinks for both of them. They ended up keeping watch all night, taking turns to sleep. Only Jane couldn't sleep, so she stayed up until the morning, when there was finally movement at the suspect's house. Jane and Maura agreed to ride in their own cars, just in case there was a persecution and they had to corner the guy.

Just when Jane entered her own car, shots were heard inside the building and a couple of goons exited the place shooting at the cops too. They had been spotted and they were a target now. Before they could respond the fire, a van appeared fast as a bullet and the shooters hopped in. Simultaneously, Jane and Korsak started their cars and followed the vehicle through the streets of Boston. The van driver was reckless, driving through red lights and even in the opposite direction. The two detectives had to avoid crashing with cars until Korsak, who was before Jane, swerved to keep the pace. That caused another car to crash laterally with Jane's car, making it roll over a few times.

Maura was with a very troubled patient when she received a call from an unknown number. Since the incident with Roger, she decided to never ignore a call, ever again.

"Hello?"

 _"Doctor Maura Isles?"_

"Yes?"

 _"I'm calling from Mass General. Jane Rizzoli had you as her emergency contact. She's just been admitted after a car accident. Could you please come? We need you to fill in paperwork and answer some questions."_

Maura's heart stopped. No, she couldn't lose Jane like that.

"I'll be right there." She dismissed her patient and cancelled the rest of her appointments. She had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. On the way over, she couldn't stop wondering why Jane had made her, her emergency contact, when she had a whole family to rely on. That was a huge responsibility, but she would accept it as long as Jane recovered completely.

At the Mass Gen ER, Maura asked immediately for Jane and a nurse asked her to wait for a moment, that she would get a doctor. Maura was extremely nervous and started trembling. A doctor approached her: "Doctor Isles?"

"Yes, how is Jane?"

"She's in critical condition. The biggest trauma is on her right side because of the shift lever. She has a punctured lung and her liver is compromised. We are trying to stop the bleeding and we'll know more after the intervention. Can you contact with her family? We might have to consider testing them for compatibility, if her liver keeps reducing activity.

"You mean a partial liver donation?"

"That's right. That will be our last resort, though. We need to see her evolution first. Do you know her family?"

"I'm afraid not. In fact, I'm surprised to be her emergency contact. She never commented anything about it and I don't really know if I'm the best person for that."

"I'm sure your medical experience will help us. Don't worry, we'll locate her family and figure things out."

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome." He went back to the OR, leaving a pensive Maura behind. A partial liver donation. _That's a risky move for both patients. I hope they don't have to use it, but if so, I hope she has a match within her family. I'll let them test me too, just in case._

After two hours of tense wait, Maura heard a woman asking about Jane Rizzoli and she decided to approach her. Hesitantly, she asked:

"Mrs. Rizzoli? Are you Jane's mother?"

"Yes. Who are you? Where is my daughter?"

"I'm Maura Isles, a good friend of hers. Your daughter is still in surgery. We don't know anything yet." It wasn't the time to explain her very complicated relationship with her daughter, so she simplified things.

"What happened? Why is she in the hospital?" Said the woman crying.

"She suffered a car accident, Mrs. Rizzoli. Apparently, she was on duty."

"Damn it! That job of hers will kill her and me too!" She needed to sit down and wipe her tears.

Maura sat next to her and put a hand on her leg, trying to console the older Rizzoli. She didn't know the woman but could imagine where Jane had inherited her character from. When she was about to say something else, the surgeon appeared in front of them. "Jane Rizzoli?" They jumped like resorts from their seats.

"Yes, I'm her mother. How is she, doctor?"

"She's stable, for now. She's still in critical condition and the next 48 hours will be crucial. She's intubated to minimize the strain to her body. Her liver is damaged and we'll probably have to test all her family members to look for a match, because it doesn't look good."

"A match? What do you mean, doctor?"

"It's possible for a live patient to donate a part of their liver to another person with hepatic failure and Jane has a high risk of suffering it. We'll need your collaboration in order to give Jane a bigger chance. Are you ok with that?"

"Of course! I'll do anything for my daughter and I'm sure the rest of the family will too."

"Doctor, I want you to test me too, just in case."

"Doctor Isles, you are not related to detective Rizzoli, are you?"

"No, and I know that it's a long shot, but I want to help in any way possible."

"Fair enough. Mrs. Rizzoli, we are transferring Jane to the ICU. You won't be able to see her for the time being, but I'll let you know as soon as you are allowed."

"Thank you, doctor." They shook hands and he left. Angela had to sit down again because her legs were trembling. Maura joined her.

"My Janie... Please don't die..." She wasn't talking to anyone, just mumbling to herself.

"She won't die, Mrs. Rizzoli, she's too strong for that."

"Call me Angela, please. Maura, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, anything you want."

"Are you just a friend of Jane's? Why are you so eager to help? Because for what I've understood, that donation is complicated."

"Because I love your daughter." Shit, that was too blunt. Let's correct it before it's too late. "She's my best friend, we've been through a lot together and I don't want to lose her."

"I didn't know she had a best friend. In fact, I didn't even know that she had a friend at all. She's so reserved, especially after what happened a few months ago with that monster."

"I know. But she's not alone. She's got all of us and she'll pull through, I'm sure."

"Please, let God hear you." Angela took Maura's hand in hers and stayed in silence for a while.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hi guys! Thanks again for the follows, reviews and views.**

 **Now, bear with me on this one, please. I don't work in medicine nor know anything about it, so the medical imprecisions are to be expected. I hope you don't find it terrible. Enjoy!**

One by one, the rest of the Rizzoli family made their appearance at the hospital, as well as Korsak, until they filled the waiting room. A few hours later, the doctor announced that Jane's health had worsened, so the doctors started performing the compatibility tests, because it was now a matter of hours before her recovery was impossible. The surprise hit the entire family when the only match was Maura. Without hesitation, she offered herself to do the donation, therefore the hospital started the protocol. Maura was admitted and they performed all the necessary tests on her.

Even though they weren't her family, Angela and Tommy stayed with her the entire time out of gratefulness, until it was time to enter the operating room. Before they wheeled her out, she took Angela's hand and reassured her:

"Jane will pull through, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Maura. I owe you everything." She kissed her lovingly on the cheek and the orderlies wheeled her out.

In total, both procedures took about twelve hours, because the most difficult part was to see Jane's reaction to her new liver. Since she wasn't strong enough, her heart stopped once on the operation table, but they managed to bring her back. In the end, despite Jane's critical condition, the operation was a success.

Now, they had to wait and monitor closely both patients, because Maura was at risk too. She was left with only half her liver and that made her vulnerable to many kinds of health problems. They decided to keep her isolated too, in order to avoid any infection or unnecessary exposure to bacteria.

Days later, Jane was already breathing by herself and her vitals were stable. Maura for her part, had developed a fever that kept her mostly out of it, but maybe it was better that way, because being isolated wasn't a great idea either.

Finally, on the eighth day, the doctors allowed the Rizzolis to see Jane, but just one at a time. She wasn't awake yet but the medical staff was pretty sure that she would open her eyes any time. The first to go in was Angela, of course.

All suited with scrubs, gloves and mask to keep the sterilization of the room, she took Jane's hand on hers and started whispering: "Janie, my Janie, come back to us, we need you." She also caressed her hair and gave her a kiss on the cheek, being careful with all the tubes and wires that were attached to her daughter.

"Maura saved your life, you know that? You have an amazing best friend out there."

Suddenly, Maura's name triggered a reaction from Jane, that started moving her fingers and breathing more agitatedly. The monitors went crazy and the hospital staff ordered Angela to clear the area, so they could attend their patient.

"What's going on?" _God, what have I done!_ Angela was desperate, afraid of losing her daughter all over again.

After a few minutes of agony, the doctor exited Jane's room and gave them unexpected good news: Jane was awake and pretty alert, asking for Maura.

"She asked for Maura?" Angela was a bit surprised. Even almost unconscious, Jane was thinking of her best friend. Was that a normal relationship or was there something else? Her mother instinct was kicking in full force. But that could wait, right now the only important thing was Jane's recovery.

"Yes, and that's a good sign. It looks like she has no memory loss, but we'll have to do some tests to know for sure. She needs her rest, so you should better go home and come back tomorrow."

"Is she going to be ok, doc?"

"It's too soon to tell, but she has good chances for a full recovery in the near future. As I said, we'll have to wait. See you tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, doctor!" The Rizzolis were happier than they had been in a long time. Their Jane was on the mend and she would soon be back home. Before leaving the hospital, Angela remembered the Maura was still there too, so she decided to visit her. She wasn't expecting to see her intubated and almost in worse condition than her Jane. She got alarmed.

"What happened? She seemed fine yesterday!"

"Are you a relative?"

"No, but I'm the mother of Maura's liver recipient, so I want to know what's wrong with her, because my daughter owes her, her life."

"She developed a fever because of a strong infection. Right now, we have her under an induced coma to let her body fight the infection. We've also intubated her so her body didn't suffer any strain and could only focus on repairing the damage."

"Oh my God! How long will you keep her under?"

"It depends on her evolution. We've started a course of stronger antibiotics in the hopes that she'll respond better. If tomorrow we see an improvement, we'll start reducing the sedation."

"Ok. Thank you." She couldn't believe this. She didn't know to what extent Maura was risking her own life to safe Jane and now... She was in a coma! She went directly to the hospital's chapel and started praying for both her daughter and her 'best friend'.

The following day, Angela felt conflicted. On one hand, she was craving to see her daughter, but on the other hand, she was also anxious to know how Maura was doing. Since her husband was already with her daughter, she went to check on Maura first. Besides, if Jane was awake, she would surely ask for Maura, so she wanted to keep her properly posted.

The sight before her calmed her nerves. The intubation was out, replaced by an oxygen cannula, and Maura looked much better. Without news from the doctor she could see that the antibiotics were indeed working and that lowered her angst.

She saw Maura's physician and asked him about her state.

"How is she, doctor?"

"She seems to be responding to the antibiotics. As you can see, we have removed the intubation because she saturates fine, and we are also lowering the sedatives, so we expect her to wake up in a few hours."

"Will she be isolated any longer?"

"Yes, until we are sure that she has overcome the most complicated phase of her recovery."

"Fine. I'll come by later to check on her again. Thank you." _Thank God, Maura._

Then, she went to visit her daughter and relieved her husband. When she entered the restricted area where Jane was being attended, she could only smile, since her daughter was awake and alert.

"Ma! There you are." Said Jane in a raspier voice than usual.

"Janie! Come here." She tried to hug her without hurting her or moving any of the tubes surrounding her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a truck drove me over. But other than that, I feel great." Her sarcasm was the best sign that she was certainly feeling better. "You look great in green and with that mask, by the way." That earned a small laugh from Angela. More seriously, Jane went on. "Ma, I have something to ask you."

"Is it about Maura?" _Of course it is, what a stupid question to ask, you idiot_ , thought Angela.

Jane was taken aback by her mother's intuition. How did she know Maura? Had she come to visit her at all? What did she tell her mother?

"So, you do know her. Has she come to visit me?"

"Well, you made her your emergency contact, remember? She was the first to come to the hospital. We met here, waiting for news about you."

 _Oh shit, I forgot that I made her my emergency contact. How stupid could I be?_ "Right. I forgot about that detail. Did she stay or did she leave after you came?" _She probably left. She didn't want to know anything about me anyway._

"Has the doctor told you everything about your injuries, Jane?"

"Not really. I know that I busted my right side pretty bad, a punctured lung and not much."

"So you don't know about your damaged liver?"

"What are you talking about? Damaged liver?"

"Yes. The trauma to your side damaged your liver so badly that you needed a transplant."

"A transplant? Is that even possible? We only have one liver."

"Yes, it is possible. Looks like the body has the capability of reproducing an entire liver out of a half. That's how Maura could donate half of her liver to save your life, because she was the only match."

Jane was at speechless. _Maura has risked her life to save mine._ After a minute of silent astonishment, she managed to ask. "How is she, ma? Is she ok?"

That desperate reaction confirmed what Angela had suspected all along: Jane was in love with Maura. "Honey, calm down, she's going to be fine. It was touch and go for a while there but she's pulling through and she'll be up and running in no time, just like you."

"God... I want to see her."

"I knew you would react like this. It's not possible right now. You're still in ICU and Maura is still in isolation."

"But..."

"No buts, Janie. As soon as you can visit her, I'll take you myself, I promise. But right now, you need to concentrate in getting better and do everything the doctors tell you to do."

"Just great... Kill me now."

"Don't you dare joke with that. We've been through hell and back with you, ok? This is no joke." Angela couldn't stand Jane's complaints right now, she was too tired.

Ashamed of herself, Jane took her mother's hand and said: "Sorry, ma, you are right. I love you."


	14. Chapter 13

A week later, Jane was transferred to a regular room and it turns out that Maura was improving so much that she wasn't in isolation anymore. Angela was going back and forth from one woman to the other, trying to keep them posted about the other's condition. One day, Maura surprised the older Rizzoli by asking her something:

"Would Jane like to see me or is she still mad at me?"

That caught Angela off guard, because she didn't even know that the both of them were fighting before the accident. "What do you mean? She's asked me about you every day since she regained consciousness. She's worried sick about you."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Why are you so surprised, Maura? You almost died in order to save her and you're still her best friend. Why in heaven wouldn't she want to see you?"

"Because before the accident... Well, we had a fight and it was my fault." Maura lowered her head, ashamed of herself. She couldn't stop thinking of the day she broke up with Jane and it hurt her heart to think that she almost lost her afterwards.

Angela sensed the cascade of emotions running through Maura's mind, so she took her hand in hers and softly told her: "Maura, whatever happened it's in the past. What you did here was an amazing gesture and life is too short to waste it in senseless fights. If you love her, you should tell her in person."

Maura was speechless. Did the woman know the true nature of their relationship? Before she could react, Angela went on.

"You are romantically involved, aren't you?" There was no acrimony or rejection in her tone, just simple curiosity and maybe even hope.

Maura smiled at the casual demeanor Jane's mother was showing. More seriously, she was honest: "We were involved. But I ruined it." Tears flooded her eyes and sadness took over.

"Maura, look at me." -She did- "I'm not gonna ask you about the specifics of your fight. What I want you to remember is that Jane is alive thanks to you. She's already in a regular room, joking and being as sarcastic as always. She will be out of here in no time and that's all because of you. So, no matter what happened between you two, what matters is now. Do you want to see her?"

"I'd love to. But I don't think I'm strong enough to face her yet."

"Right. But anytime you want to, just say the word and I'll take you to her."

"Thanks, Angela." Maura spent the next few hours imagining possible scenarios of her encounter with Jane. What she didn't imagine was seeing Jane for real in her room, on a wheelchair pushed by her mother, a few hours later. Maura's heart started racing when their eyes met for the first time.

There was an awkward silence at first, broken by Angela. "Janie, there you go. You wanted to see her, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma." She replied annoyed. That reaction made Maura afraid that Jane would start with the reproaches and they would end up fighting, but instead of that, Jane approached her chair to Maura's bed and took her right hand and started caressing her fingers.

With a soft voice, the detective asked her. "How are you feeling?"

With a whisper full of emotion, Maura answered: "Better thanks. What about you? How are you doing?"

"Much better, I hear that it's all thanks to you." Jane smiled wholeheartedly and that warmed Maura's heart.

Angela said a short goodbye and left, in order to leave them some privacy to sort things out. Now that they were alone, they felt more free to talk.

"I thought I'd lost you, Jane." Maura couldn't help but start crying.

With a lot of effort, Jane managed to stand up and sit on Maura's bed. This closer contact let them hug each other and expel their demons in some way.

"Shhhhh, see? You didn't lose me, I'm right here, in flesh and bones. Well, now more bones than flesh."

That did the trick and Maura started laughing softly in Jane's arms. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Maura." The next thing they knew, they were kissing each other with such a force that they almost knocked down Maura's serum. When they realized that a hospital room wasn't the appropriate place for that, they stopped and composed themselves, sporting a huge smile on their faces.

"I guess we'll have to wait for that." Jane said and Maura cracked up.

In between painful laughs, Maura managed to say: "I think so."

Now more seriously, Maura asked: "How are you feeling, Jane? Apart from the liver, you had other injuries. Have you started physical therapy for your arm?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. It hurts like a bitch. I go there one hour every day and believe me, I despise every second of it."

"I know it's hard. But now it's the time to recover. If you waited more time, it would be harder for you to regain strength and mobility. It will get better soon, you'll see."

"With all those pins and needles the metal detector will go crazy every time I pass through." Jane loved to make Maura laugh and she succeeded one more time.

Angela returned to take Jane back to her room, but before she did, she had to ask them both:

"Have you two sorted things out?"

"Yes, we have." Said both in unison.

"Does it mean that we will have a doctor in the family?" Angela was surprisingly excited and the two women looked at each other, trying to decide what to answer. Finally, Jane reacted:

"Maaaa, do you always have to be like that?"

"Like what? I'm just asking if Maura will become part of the family, that's all!"

"You are too nosy! Stop making uncomfortable questions!"

"I'm just curious, what's wrong with that?"

"Oh, Jesus. Let it be already. Let's go. See you tomorrow, Maura?" When she asked that last question, Jane's tone changed to a softer one.

"Yes, Jane. See you tomorrow. I'll be here. Bye, Angela."

"Bye, honey." They exited the room, leaving a much happier Maura behind. It looked like things were getting better and that gave her a new strength to recover completely.

Maura was the first to be discharged from the hospital. She would have to keep a restricted diet for at least three more months and she was recommended to go to a physical therapist to overcome the soreness of the area. All in all, she was feeling alright and at home her recovery would be even faster.

Forr her part, Jane was allowed to go home two weeks later. She had suffered a number of injuries besides the liver failure, so she needed more time to recover. Since Maura's house was bigger and Angela had to take care of them both, the woman made a pact with her husband and decided to install Jane in the doctor's house. Of course, Maura was more on the mend than the detective, so she panicked about Jane staying and she being the perfect hostess. Only Angela wouldn't let her and she grew somewhat frustrated.

When Jane arrived with her parents to the house, her brothers were waiting for her with a WELCOME HOME! sign and a cake, that neither she or Maura were allowed to eat yet. She was surprised to see all that preparation, because she didn't know that the psychiatrist was getting along so well with her entire family. Turns out that Tommy, Frankie and Maura had bonded during her recovery and now they were acting like siblings.

Jane was a little confused by all the events that had happened since even before her accident. Maura and she brake up, they don't t speak to each other, suddenly she suffers an accident, her life is on the line, Maura saves her life and the doctor becomes part of her family? What the hell? That needed to be addressed as soon as they were alone.

The first family dinner at Maura's house was intended to be a warm homecoming for Jane, but ended up being an awkward situation, especially for Maura. Frank drank too much wine and started blabbing about how rich people are privileged sons of bitches and so on. Maura tried not to take it personally, but couldn't help but feel attacked by his insults. When Jane noticed Maura's discomfort, stood up too rapidly for her aching body and made a grunt. Though that didn't stop her from being harsh to her father:

"Stop your bullshit! Who do you think you are to talk like this to Maura in her own house? And don't tell me that's the alcohol talking because I know you all too well. You apologize right now or I'll kick you out of here!"

"Janie, what's wrong with you? Don't you think I'm right? All rich people think they are above us blue-collar workers! Look around you and..."

"Shut up and get out of here! Out!" She started pushing her father with her good hand and a lot of pain, both physical and psychological until he was out of the house. The rest of the family tried to calm Jane down not to exert herself, but they didn't succeed. Maura felt awful and excused herself after the altercation. She needed to be alone and forget about everything.

After a few minutes of very awkward silence, Jane couldn't take it anymore and went after Maura, ignoring her mother's protests and a few suspicious looks from her brothers. The last thing she wanted to do was for Maura feel bad and that's exactly what she had done. She knocked on Maura's bedroom door and didn't get an answer. She tried again with the same result, so she finally entered the room carefully, just in case Maura was already sleeping.

She wasn't, but she was laying on her bed on her left side, crying softly. When Jane saw her, her heart broke a little. She sat down right beside the doctor and started caressing her hair, speechless. Maura didn't seem to react at her at first, but then, she looked at Jane and whispered:

"Thank you."

"Maura, I'm extremely sorry that you had to witness all that. I didn't mean to hurt you." Jane's voice was full of emotion, because she was really moved.

"It's not your fault, Jane. You defended me out there. What hurt me was that I've always tried my best to belong somewhere and it's always been the same: I don't. Just because I'm rich, or too smart, or too weird, I always end up alone rejected. It makes me sad."

"But you are not rejected, Maura. You are an amazing person and we all want you in our family."

"Not all."

"Oh, forget about my father! He's usually biased against rich people and also an asshole when he drinks too much. Believe me, you are already a part of the Rizzoli family, poor thing."

That last comment made Maura laugh a little.

"Poor thing?"

"Yeah, you don't know what you've put yourself into. You've earned two lousy brothers and a helicopter mother. In fact, I think that she invented the term."

That caused a bigger laugh from Maura. "And what about you?" Her voice was flirtatious but also filled with curiosity.


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! To the anon that left me a review last time, THANK YOU so much. People like you encourage me to go on. BTW, the story is already fully written.**

 **WARNING: More sexy times ahead. You don't like, don't read.**

"What about me?" Jane's voice was playful, knowing exactly what Maura meant.

"Do I have to consider you like a sister?"

Jane replied: "Would a sister do this?", taking Maura's face with her good hand and softly kissing her in the lips.

"I don't think so." Maura was breathless. Then, her hands started roaming all over Jane's body, until the brunette yelped when Maura touched a painful area.

"Oh God, I'm sorry Jane! Did I hurt you?"

"It's nothing, don't worry, Maura." And they hugged. They had an uncontrollable need to make love, but their bodies wouldn't cooperate, so they left it for another day.

Two months later, Jane finished her physical therapy and her arm was fully functional again. Only now she needed to pass a few tests for her to go back to her job. Her recovery had been a pain in the ass for her, but something good had come from it: Jane and Maura were living together and, physical problems aside, it had been the best time of their lives. They were fitting really well as a couple. They understood each other and life felt better for them.

One night at a family dinner, Angela dropped a bombshell.

"So when is the wedding?" She caught them off guard and left them speechless. They looked at each other, trying to find out who would answer first, but they remained silent, for Angela's desperation.

"What? You haven't talked about marriage? Isn't it legal now for gay couples to get married in this State?"

"Of course it is, ma! It's just that the subject hasn't come up yet and maybe it's a little early to talk about it, don't you think?" Jane was annoyed by Angela's insistence.

"Ok, ok, don't get mad at me, I'm just saying!"

"Well, next time think before asking." Maura and Angela were surprised by Jane's harshness. Maybe the old woman was a little nosy, but Jane was overreacting.

"Jane, calm down, your mother was curious, that's all."

"Yeah? Sometimes she's just too curious, Maura."

Hurt by Jane's reaction, Angela excused herself and left. Before, though, Maura sent her a silent "Sorry" for Jane's behavior and the woman nodded.

"Why did you react so badly, Jane? It's not like she was preparing our wedding already."

"Because I'm fed up with her constant badgering! She didn't have the right to ask us that. Not just yet."

"Would it be so bad that we got married? So terrible?" Maura was starting to get agitated. She never even thought about marrying Jane, since it was still too early in their relationship, but Jane's overreaction left her thinking that maybe the brunette would never want to marry and that hurt her.

"Maura, are you really asking me this? Because I've never thought about marriage, much less with you after just a few months of relationship. I love you and I love being with you, but marriage is a huge step for me."

"Just answer this: would you ever like to get married or is it completely discarded for you?"

"Well, never is a big word, but I'm not really into marriage. Do you even know any successful married couple. And don't say my parents because they can barely stand each other anymore and if they haven't divorced it's because they are too catholic for that."

"That there are any failed marriages doesn't mean that ours have to be too, Jane. But you know what? Let's leave the subject alone, it's clearly not the time to talk about it."

"No, wait. Are you telling me that you want to get married? Seriously?"

"I'm not saying that. At least not right away. I'm just saying that I'd like to have a chance in the future to consider marriage, that's all. But I don't want to rush things or make you do things you don't want to do. Let's leave it at that, please. I'm tired." Maura was more hurt by Jane's reaction than she cared to admit, but she wasn't very good at disguising it.

"Alright, let's leave the subject alone, for now."

That night they slept together but didn't make love. In fact, neither slept at all, thinking about their previous discussion. Jane was feeling overwhelmed by the chance of getting married, but she couldn't afford to lose Maura over something so silly. After all, marriage was just a simple paper stating that they loved each other, nothing more. Maybe she reacted the way she did because of her mother's intrusion. She hated feeling controlled or manipulated and her mother did just that. She couldn't stand the woman in those occasions. Jane would try to make things better with Maura in the morning.

For her part, Maura was thinking that maybe she had been too pushy with Jane. It was indeed way too early in their relationship to even consider tying the knot. Remembering their talk, what actually ticked her off was Jane's strong reaction against the possibility. She hoped that in the morning they would be calmer to address the topic deeper.

At the first ray of sun, Maura approached Jane slowly, not to spook her and kissed her lips lovingly. Jane smiled still with her eyes closed and whispered: "Good morning to you too, baby."

"Good morning, sweetie." Replied Maura caressing Jane's face. "Jane, I'm sorry about last night, I just..."

Jane wouldn't let her finish, laying Maura down and crashing her lips on hers, because she was craving her taste, her smell, her lips, her breasts... She was on fire and wanted to make the doctor happy. Their tongues started dancing in each other's mouth, establishing a perfect rhythm.

Then, Jane decided to kiss every inch of Maura's neck, spiking the honey blonde's libido. Between breaths, she managed to say: "Jane, I love you."

Jane stopped her ministrations in order to admire her girlfriend's features. "You are so beautiful." And then, she went down Maura's body, devoting especial attention in her firm breasts and making Maura moan uncontrollably. "Oh, Jane, yesss. I love your mouth...Mmmm."

Jane was already extremely turned on, but the doctors reaction to her maneuvers was putting her on the edge too. After roaming a little around Maura's thighs, Jane decided to touch herself while sticking her playful tongue into Maura's already very wet core. That made the woman jump and start crying out of pleasure. "Oh my Gooood, Jane. Oh, yesss. Give me more, please!"

Jane complied. She stuck one finger on Maura's center and rapidly moved it in and out, while keeping the same pace for herself. She wanted to cum at the same time than Maura, so when the doctor's walls started contracting, she sped up both her movements and they reached their climax simultaneously. Before she lost all muscle control, Jane managed to collapse on top of an also spent Maura, that was panting with her eyes closed.

After a few minutes of recovery, Maura said: "That was... amazing."

Jane was satisfied with herself, because she had made her love forget about their last night's discussion, the best way possible. She kissed her on the lips and added: "I wanted you to know how much you mean to me. I didn't think of a better way."

"That was a great way, believe me. I love you so much, Jane. Married or not, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Jane was speechless, so she just hugged Maura and remained silent for a few minutes, until the alarm clock went off and broke the magic.

She then stood up, turned it off, looked at Maura and said: "I want to spend the rest of my life with you too, love. Now that I've found you, I don't want to let you go ever again."

That earned an emotion-filled smile from Maura and an almost silent "Thank you."

After that morning, they entered a routine, living together, making love almost every night and enjoying life at its best. One day, Maura had a bad day at work because one of her patients had insulted her and almost hit her after a nervous breakdown. She managed to calm him down and give him a stronger medication, but that didn't make things better for her. She felt that she had failed again as a professional, since she didn't see that breakdown coming, but now it was too late. After talking to the police and not reporting her patient, she finally went home.

When she opened the door, the first thing she noticed were a bunch of rose petals scattered through the floor, creating some sort of path leading upstairs. Leaving her purse and other belongings, she decided to follow the path and, when she arrived to the upper floor, she entered her bedroom. She found lit candles all around and more rose petals scattered on the bed. She was amazed by the display, when Jane appeared from behind, wearing a beautiful black dress. She took Maura's hand, kneeled down, opened a small box with a gorgeous diamond ring and without hesitation, she asked: "My dear Maura Isles. Brilliant, beautiful inside and out, my soulmate, will you marry me?

 **SORRYYY, cliffhanger. But I'll update soon, I promise.**


	16. Chapter 15

Maura couldn't say a word. A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks, because she was extremely moved by Jane's beautiful gesture. After taking a few breaths, she finally said: "Yes, I will. I love you Jane!" The brunette then put the engagement ring on Maura's finger and started crying too. They hugged so strongly that they had to brake the embrace a few seconds later because they could barely breathe.

That night, they made love four times, exploring each other's body and setting every pore on fire. In the morning, they were starving. Maura started brewing some coffee while Jane prepared some French toast and a bowl of cereal. When they were already seated at the table, Maura asked:

"So, have you thought of a date for the wedding?"

Between bites, Jane replied: "Not really, I wanted to talk to you about it. Do you have any preference?"

"Actually... No, it's not a good idea."

"What? Tell me."

"It occurred to me that maybe we could tie the knot on August 7th."

"Why? Is there something special about that date?" Suddenly, Jane remembered baby Maura's gravestone and said. "Oh... Does it have something to do with Doyle?"

Maura looked somewhat ashamed, but she answered honestly: "Yes. But it's not what you think, I promise."

"What is it then? Because I don't get it." She wasn't annoyed, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea either.

"It's the day I died." Jane was about to interject when Maura halted her with her hand and went on explaining herself: "I know I didn't actually die, but I've always felt that some part of me died the day I was born because it torn my mother apart. She had to choose between me and the love of her life and she chose me, but she was never the same, I'm sure of that."

"How can you know that, Maura? You were very young when she died."

"Because I never saw her even smile. I never saw her happy. She loved me so much, I know that, but she always had a sad look on her face. Maybe she even doubted her choice of keeping me from time to time."

"Are you kidding me? How can you even fathom the idea that you were a mistake? You were not the cause of your mother's unhappiness. Your grandfather and father were! You were innocent in all that, don't you understand?"

She wasn't convinced with Jane's explanation but let it go. "Anyway, my point is that I would like to have something good to celebrate that day and erase the bad feelings that it causes me. But we can choose any other day, if you want."

"Well, I had another idea in mind, but if you want to use that day, it's ok with me too."

"No, tell me, what were you thinking?"

"I thought about May 3rd. Sounds familiar?"

Maura seemed to think about it. Finally, she denied.

"It's the day we met. At the time I didn't know and I didn't want to go, but you entered my life like a miracle. You changed me forever in the best way possible. That's a date I will never forget."

Maura was moved by Jane's words. She never realized how important that first session with her had been. And now, a year and a half later, she was reminded that somehow her life changed too, although in a slower way than Jane's. When she remained silent more than expected, Jane urged her to say something:

"So? What do you think? Do you prefer your idea or mine?"

Maura smiled and replied gladfully: "I prefer your idea, Jane. Your reason is beautiful and it's a common date for both of us. Besides, you are right, that day changed our lives forever. Let's take it."

Jane was thrilled. "YES!" She took Maura in her arms and kissed her with all her might. "Thank you, thank you!. It will be a great day, you'll see. Oh, wait."

"What's wrong, Jane?"

"Now you'll know my real helicopter mother. Brace yourself, it's going to be a very intense few months."

"Hahahaha! It won't be that bad, I'm sure."

"Oh, you don't know her. You've only seen one side of her. Now you are about to see her worst qualities. She will decide the cake, the invitation cards, even the place if given the chance."

"The place is our decision. What about city hall? Or you rather have a private reception somewhere?"

"I'm not a fan of fancy ceremonies, you know me. I prefer to keep it simple. Family and a few friends, that's all. So, yeah, city hall is the perfect place. And then we go to a fancy restaurant to compensate my mother for her troubles."

"I'm looking forward to it... Especially our honeymoon." Maura said in a flirty voice.

"Oh, right! We have to choose a destination for our trip too!"

"We have a lot of things to do, Jane. First things first, though. Let's call your mother and brake the news to your family."

"Ugh... You do it, pleeeease."

"Sometimes you are like a child, you know that?" She answered laughing.

"Yes, mama."

That day, the entire Rizzoli family gathered in Maura's house to celebrate the girls' engagement. As expected, Angela started deciding things and by the end of the month, they already had a restaurant, a wedding cake and a stack of invitation cards. She was very invested in the ceremony, but there were things that only Jane and Maura could do, like registering at city hall for the specific date or picking out their wedding dresses. From the beginning, Maura was sure of wearing a dress, whilst Jane was more inclined to wear a tuxedo, but the doctor intervened:

"Jane, you would look so beautiful in a wedding gown. Honestly, you should wear one and leave me breathless."

"Sorry, Maura. I'm don't like dresses. I'd rather wear pants and feel more comfortable."

Maura looked deceived but didn't say anything and Jane saw her reaction. The topic was forgotten.

Time ran away so fast that they couldn't believe the date was already there. The two of them agreed to stay away from each other the night before the wedding, to avoid bad luck and all that, even though Maura wasn't much of a believer in superstitions.

Since Maura had no family to celebrate with her, Frankie offered to pick her up and take her to city hall. When he arrived to Maura's, he was amazed by the look in front of him. Maura was wearing a beautiful dress that fit her curves perfectly. It was ivory colored with strapless neckline and she had a discrete necklace that belonged to her mother. Her hair was in a bun and was wearing pearl earrings. Her make-up was also discrete, since she was so beautiful that didn't need much to look amazing. At first, Frankie was speechless.

"Do you like it?" Maura turned around to show him the rest of her.

"Wow! Too bad my sister saw you first!"

Maura laughed half amused, half nervous. "Oh, shut up. Let's get going. I don't want to be late."

* * *

Jane, for her part, was already in the car when she realized that she'd forgotten her cell at home. Her father was driving and there was quite a traffic jam, so she asked Frank to give her his cell. Just when he had the phone in his hand to give it to Jane, a police patrol saw him and stopped the car, ready to issue a ticket for driving while speaking on the phone. After their explanation of the real events and Jane identifying herself as a BPD detective, the officers let them go with just a warning, but that took them twenty more minutes to solve.

Add to that the fact that there was an accident on the way, where two cars had crashed. It was mission impossible for them to make it in time.

* * *

At city hall, Maura was already becoming impatient. Jane had called a while ago to tell them about the almost ticket and that they were on their way, but there was no trace of them. When Angela tried to call them back, she got the voicemail. The major then took Maura apart and warned her:

"Ms. Isles, I have another two couples who want to get married and your time is running out. I can only give you ten more minutes or you'll have to reschedule. I'm sorry."

Maura was crushed. There she was, beautiful with her wedding gown, surrounded by people and technically alone. Ten minutes later, she addressed the attendants:

"I'm sorry to announce that the wedding is off. There has been a problem with Jane and she won't be able to make it in time, so we'll have to leave it for another day. Thank you for coming, we appreciate it."

Fifteen minutes later she was still at city hall, trying not to cry and accompanied by Angela and Tommy. The rest of the entourage were already at the restaurant. Since everything was already paid, there was no point in not going anyway. Only Maura was not hungry, she had a knot in her stomach that made it difficult to breathe.

"Maura, don't despair. I'm sure that Jane will arrive soon."

Right after she pronounced those words, a car halted suddenly in front of the entrance of city hall and an agitated Jane exited the vehicle with difficulty. When they saw her, Angela shouted:

"Jane! In here!"

Turns out that Jane was wearing an amazing wedding gown that made her look fabulous. Before she could say a word, Maura reacted first: "Jane, you are wearing a dress." She said that with a voice thick of emotion and tears in her eyes.

"Maura, Maura, I'm so sorry! I forgot my phone at home, then pop had his but the police stopped us for a while, then there was an accident and our cell died... My God, I'm so sorry that you had to wait for so long!" She embraced the doctor, that was already crying. When Maura was calmer, Jane suggested. "What do you say, let's get married?" And was about to head into city hall when Maura stopped her: "Jane, we can't get married."

Jane was horrified: "Why?"

"Because we had limited time to perform the ceremony and we were late. There were other couples that wanted to get married too, so we had to leave."

Jane was even more devastated. She had ruined what was supposed to be the best day of their lives. Stupid traffic! Stupid gown! She needed to sit down. When Maura saw her reaction, she understood that Jane felt horrible and that, all in all, it wasn't completely her fault. She had made an effort to wear a gown even though she hated wearing dresses. She tried her best but it didn't work. Maura tried to console her, so she sat down next to Jane. "Hey, don't worry, we will get married. We'll just have to wait for the perfect time, that's all." They took each other's hand and stayed there for a while.


	17. Chapter 16

Days later, Maura couldn't help it, but she was still sad. Her mood was somber and Jane couldn't feel worse about it. "Maura, do you want to go out tonight?"

"No, I'd rather stay home and watch some TV."

Jane was growing frustrated and didn't know how to fix their relationship. She decided to get to the point: "Honey, I know that I hurt you by being late the day of our wedding but you have to snap out of it, please."

"Snap out of it? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I don't mean to offend you, Maura. I just think that you are a bit depressed and I know it's because I screwed up, but it's not the end of the world, there will be other dates for the wedding."

"You don't understand a thing."

"Well, then explain it to me! I want to understand what's on your mind!"

"It's not just about that date specifically. It's about the fact that we were supposed to get married and it failed. Maybe we aren't supposed to get married at all."

"What? What are you talking about?" Jane was flabbergasted.

"Maybe we should reconsider this wedding. Maybe wait more time for us to make such a huge commitment."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Honestly. So what, just because there has been a bump on the road you give up like that?"

"I'm not giving up, Jane. I'm just saying that maybe we are fine the way we are now. Without further commitment, that's all."

"That's just great. I have to go to work. See you later." Jane was mad as hell and stormed out of the house.

The next days were rocky between them, to say the least. They barely spent time together and when they did, they didn't speak, until Maura couldn't handle it anymore.

"Jane, that's enough! We can't stay mad at each other forever!"

"So what do you suggest, to forget it all or just give up our relationship?"

"Neither! I just want things to go back to normal between us, it's not so much to ask!"

"Do you think? Because last time we spoke, you almost blamed me for the lost opportunity to consolidate our love."

"I never said anything like that and you know it."

"No, I don't. I just know that I never saw you as a weak person that can't face the first problem she encounters. But looks like you proved me wrong."

"Jane, don't say things you will regret later. You are upset and I can understand, but don't start with useless personal disqualifications."

"It's not a disqualification, it's a fact. You are weak. There's nothing wrong with that, it shows that you are human and imperfect, that's all."

Maura was resolved not to go down that path so she ignored Jane's last words. "Look, I have the right to have doubts. That doesn't mean that I don't love you or that I want to end our relationship. Far from it, actually. I want to keep things the way they were before the failed wedding. Do you think it's possible?"

"I'm not sure, Maura. I'm always so confused with you. You are always doubting every step you take. If you are not really sure of where we're going or if it's worth it to take a chance, maybe we should take a break."

Maura was heartbroken. With a broken voice, she begged Jane: "Please, don't do this. I don't want to lose you. I'm just not ready to get married, but I still want to be with you."

"No, Maura. I can't do this anymore. I'm not giving up on us, I just need some distance to clear my head." She stood up and left the house.

Maura's worst nightmare was already happening before her eyes. The only person that had really believed in her, that wasn't a monster like Paddy, had just left her because she discovered the real Maura. The self-doubting coward Maura that couldn't handle failure. She went to bed without touching dinner and cried herself to sleep.

A few days later, Maura tried to contact Jane by calling to her cell, but there was no answer. She also called her to the station, where they told her that Jane was busy. Her last resort was to talk to Angela but her response was concise:

"I'm sorry, Maura. Jane doesn't want to talk to you for now. Just give her some time, she'll come around and will contact you. Don't lose hope, honey."

Easy to say. Maura had already lost hope. She felt that she had lost Jane forever and didn't know how to fix things or if there was anything to fix, for that matter. In a rushed decision, she bought a plane ticket and left Boston.

A month later Jane was feeling depressed. She missed Maura every single minute and thought that maybe it was time to contact her again. She tried her cell but it was disconnected. Then called her office and the receptionist said that Maura was busy and if she wanted to leave a message. Jane replied: "Yes, please. Tell doctor Isles this is Jane Rizzoli and she can reach me at my cellphone. It's important."

Jane wasn't sure if it would work, but it was the only way she could think of to try engaging with Maura again. And it worked. That evening, her cell started ringing and when she checked its display, the call was from Maura. It could a very awkward conversation, but she tried to sound casual.

"Hey Maura. How are you?"

"Jane, my receptionist told me it was important. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing happened, don't worry I just said it was important so that you would call me soon."

"Ok... so what do you need?"

"I need to see you, Maura."

After a brief pause, Maura asked: "Are you sure? Last time we spoke, you didn't leave in good terms and wouldn't take my calls for days."

"I know and I'm sorry. Please, could we meet? I miss you."

There was silence on the other side of the line. "Hello? Maura? Are you there?"

"I am here." She sounded very serious. "Ok. Tomorrow 8 PM. My house."

"Alright. See you then. And thank you." They hung up. _Shit, she sounded pissed as hell. I better make things right or we'll be done forever._

Next day, at 8 PM sharp, Jane was ringing the bell at Maura's. When the doctor opened the door, her sight took Jane's breath away. She was wearing a black and white tight dress, with high heels even though she was home, her hair looked perfect and her skin was amazingly tan.

"Wow." Jane couldn't help but say while staring at Maura upside down.

"Jane, come in." But the detective was slow to react. She was frozen at the same spot because Maura looked like a goddess.

"Jane, are you there? You are staring."

"Oh, shit, sorry." And she entered the house. Maura was slightly amused by Jane's reaction but decided to keep it for herself.

Jane was uncomfortable and didn't know where to sit, so she let Maura guide her to where she wanted. They both sat on the couch and it felt like home once again for the brunette. She was the first to brake the ice.

"How have you been? You look amazing, by the way." Despite trying to act casual, she couldn't hide the attraction she felt for the doctor. She just wanted to rip off that expensive dress and make love to her over and over.

"I've been fine, thanks. What about you?" Maura wanted to kiss Jane too, but she was so hurt that her first approach was cold. She wouldn't get away so easily.

"Just working, that's all. Not much of a life, honestly. I really missed you."

Silence again. This was going to be tougher that Jane expected. "You went silent again. Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking that... If you missed me so much, why wouldn't let me talk to you for that long? I understand this was a break, but it turned out to be a break up and that hurts."

 _Oh no, I screwed up badly. Way to go, Jane!_ "No, Maura. This was just a break, I never wanted to lose you forever, believe me."

"It didn't feel that way to me. I felt abandoned. I went crazy trying to talk to you and I finally left everything behind and went on a trip.

"Right, that's why you look so amazing!"

"Don't change the subject, Jane. You hurt me and that can't be undone."

Jane lowered her head. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Maura. I felt lost and hurt too. I needed time to think things through and for that I needed to put some distance between us. Maybe I overdid it, but I still want to be with you, if you'll let me."

Going back in time, Maura realized that they were both at fault. They hurt each other and needed to make amends, so she said:

"I know I hurt you too. You know what our real problem was?"

"What?"

"That we didn't really know each other. We begun our relationship based on a physical attraction. We knew just a part of who we are and idealized each other, but never realized that we are human too. On one hand, you discovered how much I doubt everything and everyone, especially myself. I have a low self-esteem, Jane. That's not something you can change overnight. You saw that part of me and left me. That's what hurts the most. On the other hand, I've found out how stubborn and close-minded you can be and that doesn't bode well with my biggest flaw: constant doubt. If we want this to work, we'll have to make adjustments and be more tolerant with each other. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"

Jane analyzed all Maura had just said and agreed completely. Good thing that the doctor was a psychiatrist, because Jane would have never reached such deep conclusions about them. After a few seconds of silence, she answered:

"You are right. When we discovered our flaws, we freaked out. Maybe this is what we needed to really get to know each other. This is a learning process and I am more than willing to keep learning. What do you say? Do we have dinner tomorrow and start over?"

 **There. As one reader said, their relationship was almost rushed in the beginning and that's why. They need to start over. Will they succeed? Two more chapters to go.**


	18. Chapter 17

"I think that's a good idea. Pick me up at seven? I'll let you choose restaurant."

"Perfect! Thank you for listening to me, Maura. I really needed this conversation."

"Me too. See you tomorrow, Jane."

"Bye." When she closed the door to the house, Jane wanted to shout joyfully to the world that she had a chance with her soulmate, but she refrained herself. Instead, she drove home and checked her wardrobe to find the perfect outfit for the most important date of her life.

When the time came, Jane rang Maura's bell to begin their technically first date. When the doctor opened the door, she found a gorgeous Jane with a beautiful flower bouquet in her hands and ready for anything.

"Hi Jane."

"Hi Maura. These are for you. They don't do you justice, but I hope you like them anyway."

"Thank you. They are wonderful." She took them and went to the kitchen to put them in a vase, while Jane waited at the door. Then, she approached the detective and asked: "Shall we?"

"Of course!" Jane said and offered Maura her arm to guide her to the car, which the doctor accepted gladly.

They spent the night at a fancy restaurant, talking about their lives before their time together. They really got to know each other in a more organic way and that contributed to their relationship. When the evening ended, Jane took Maura home and before parting ways, she kissed her softly in the lips. They oddly felt some butterflies in their stomach that hadn't been present before. They were falling in love all over again and this time it would be for real.

When they parted lips, Maura said whispering: "Good night, Jane. It's been an amazing date."

"Likewise, Maura. See you tomorrow?"

"Yes, see you tomorrow." She couldn't help but kiss Jane again on the lips.

Time went by and things were going great for them. Jane had moved back to Maura's and, since she already had some stuff she had left before breaking up, she didn't need to bring many things over. One day, while having breakfast, Jane asked: "Hey, I have a lot of time off. Would you like to go on a picnic?"

"I'm sorry, Jane. I have this week full of patients and I'll be late every day. Rain check?"

"Sure, no problem. I hate that Cavanaugh has made me take vacation. He says it's better that we all take time off because it's supposed to be a very busy summer and he needs us fresh."

"Will you be ok, Jane? I think you'll need to find hobbies to fill your time."

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll find something to do."

Jane said it almost proud and that reassured Maura. She asked anyway: "Are you sure you won't get bored after a while? You are a very active person and I can't see you relaxing more than a few minutes at a time. Well, unless we are doing something veeery relaxing." She put her nasty voice to make Jane excited and she succeeded, but then Maura realized that it was already late and she had to go to work.

"Honey, see you later. Have fun today!"

"Thanks, love. See you in the evening."

As expected, they day went painfully slow for Jane. She really wasn't used to relaxing, much less alone. Spending time with Maura was easy, spending it alone, not so much. After having lunch, she realized that they were out of milk, but before going to the store, she called Maura to her cell just in case she needed her to buy something. It went straight to voicemail so she thought that maybe Maura was with a patient. Then, she tried to call to her office.

"Doctor Isles office. How may I help you?"

"Hello, Vivian, this is Jane Rizzoli. Could I talk to doctor Isles, please?"

"I'm sorry, detective, but doctor Isles is on vacation. She'll be back in two weeks."

Jane froze. Without answering, Jane hung up the phone. Maura had lied to her? She took a week off and didn't tell her? What the hell was going on? Now Jane had something to fill her off time.

When the next day arrived, they repeated their routine and Maura went "to work". Only this time, Jane went after her, using her detective skills to avoid being discovered.

Maura drove to a park and met with a guy. Jane just wanted to rip off the guy's smile of his face. They looked very close but, strangely enough, they didn't kiss on the lips. They drank a coffee on a park bench, spoke a lot and then parted ways, but Jane suspected that they were just pretending and the real action would come later at a hotel room or something else. Then, she kept following Maura across town, watching her do some errands and afterwards, just go home. Jane was extremely confused. What the hell was going on? She would confront Maura that same night.

The door to the house opened and a very happy Maura appeared. Jane was even more upset after seeing that.

"Hi baby, how was your day?" A chipper Maura asked, approaching Jane and kissing her on the cheek.

"Not as cool as yours, apparently." Jane replied, very serious.

Noticing Jane's mood, Maura inquired: "What's wrong? What happened?"

"You tell me. Or maybe you don't want to. Maybe you have something to hide."

Maura was getting alarmed. What was Jane talking about? "Jane, I don't understand you. What do you mean?"

"You didn't tell l me you had taken two weeks off, your receptionist did."

Maura's face went white. She had been discovered. Or had she? "Oh. I didn't think you would find out so soon."

"Find out? What the hell?"

Jane, don't get mad, there's nothing wrong going on.

"Really? Then, who was the guy you met with this morning? And don't tell me he's a patient because I won't believe it."

"You followed me? I can't believe this!"

"Oh, don't you dare act offended, because if there's someone here who can be offended, that's only me."

"Really? Would you like it if the closest person to you didn't trust you? Because you just showed me how little faith you have in me."

"if you want me to trust you, tell me who that guy was and we'll see."

"Just great. Do you want to know who that man is?"

"YES!"

"He's an interior designer! He's a friend of mine and was doing me a favor."

"What kind of favor." Jane was starting to feel that she had made a mistake acting so suspiciously towards Maura.

Maura sighed. She took Jane's hand and led her to the car. "Let me show you." She ushered Jane in the front seat and said: "Stay here, I need to make a few phone calls. Don't move, please." Maura went inside the house and left Jane expectant.

The detective didn't know what to think anymore. What the heck was going on? Before she could think further, Maura left the house and entered the car. "Do you trust me?" She asked looking into Jane's eyes.

"Yes I do." Maura didn't need to hear anything else. She started the car and they went on their way. After half an hour, they were already in a wooded area, away from the city. Maura knew exactly where she was going while Jane was getting even more confused by the second. Ten minutes later, Maura stopped the car. "Here we are."

Jane looked at her incredulously. "Here where? There's nothing to see!"

Maura exited the car and opened the passenger door for Jane. She took her hand and reassured her. "Believe me, there's more here than you can expect. Follow me." They entered the woods and, after a few yards, there was a clear. What Jane wasn't expecting was to see how some beautiful lights were turned on, just to reveal an amazing flower arc, some chairs and more flowers scattered around. When she was admiring the view, other people arrived: her entire family and Korsak, all dressed up.

Jane was just speechless. Before she could manage to say a word, Maura took her hands and explained: "I was preparing our wedding, Jane. I wanted it to be extremely romantic and make it all right, including the declaration, but you discovered me before I had time to do anything else. So, before we start..." She went down on one knee and asked: "Will you marry me, Jane Rizzoli?"

"Oh my God." She barely had a voice to answer and a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. "Of course, I will marry you!" And Maura put the ring in her finger. "You did all this?" Jane asked looking around.

"Well, not just me, my friends helped me a lot. And that includes the guy you saw today. He designed the place, although it lacks a few details, but it'll be fine anyway."

Jane was still crying. Then, it downed to her: "Wait, who will marry us? It's very late."

"We have that covered. Detective." She waved to Korsak, who said: "I was ordained online, so I'll be the minister in your wedding, Jane."

"Thank you, partner." They hugged. Then, she jumped as a resort and wondered: "Wait, what about the wedding gowns?" We can't get married like this." She said signaling to the both of them.

"That's covered too. Angela, did you bring the gowns?"

"Of course I did, honey. You can change in our car." They looked at each other and went to the car. On the way, Jane asked again: "Hey, what about the rings? Do you have them?"

"No, Frankie does. He's your best man, remember?"

"You have it all planned, don't you?" She stopped Maura and before kissing her passionately, she said: "You are an amazing human being, Maura Isles."

"So are you, Jane Rizzoli. Now, let's get going, we have a wedding to celebrate!" And they ran to the car.


	19. Chapter 18

**There we go, people! Last chapter. I want to thank every reader and, especially, every reviewer, because you have kept me going. Thank you if you have arrived till the end of this little story. I hope you liked it and it didn't deceive anybody. Take care, my friends, and enjoy! ;)**

When they finished dressing and applying their make-up –because Angela had thought of everything–, they exited the car and approached the beautiful setup, to join the entire Rizzoli family and Korsak.

Since this was no ordinary wedding, they decided to skip the bride walking down the aisle convention and both of them went together to the front, where Korsak was waiting to conduct the ceremony. They joined hands and the old man started his speech:

"Dear friends, we are gathered this beautiful night to celebrate a very special love. One that has become an example to all of us. Because these two women share something so strong that they have defied social rules and death. I would never have imagined that my long-time partner, none other than Jane Rizzoli, would ever go to a doctor, much less a shrink. No offence, Maura." The audience laughed shyly at that comment and Maura added: "None taken". Korsak went on: "Anyway, turns out that not only was Jane being helped by the doctor, but she was also falling madly in love with her. I want that therapy too." That earned another laugh from the attendants. "Jokes aside, I'm very proud of you, Jane, and it makes me very happy to see you happier than ever." Jane replied: "Thank you, partner." Then, Korsak addressed Maura: "And you, Maura, thank you for being the reason why my partner is so happy. I wish you the best for the future and I'm glad that you are part of this family." Maura said a silent "Thank you" to Korsak.

"Now, you can say the vows. Jane?" Right then, the detective realized something. "Oh, shoot! I have nothing prepared!"

Maura reassured her: "Don't worry, love. Say whatever's on your mind. It will be fine."

The brunette closed her eyes, took a deep breath, looked intensely at Maura's eyes and started talking: "The day we met, I was in a very dark place. I felt lost, I couldn't sleep or concentrate. But the moment I saw you, something inside told me that everything would be fine, because you were there. You showed me patience, respect and understanding. You became my safe haven when everything had lost meaning. Our path has been intense. We have learnt together the meaning of a shared life. What It feels to love and be loved unconditionally, even when we were miles away from each other. Today, I commit myself to you, Maura Isles. I promise to guide you in the darkness of the night and adore you in the light of day. Thank you for existing and being my everything. I love you with all my heart." She barely made it to the end of her speech, because emotion took over and her voice ended up being just a whisper, enough for Maura to hear it and be moved to the core.

The only sound you could hear after Jane finished was the sound of the wind moving the leafs of the trees. After a few seconds to recover from the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and the lump in her throat, Maura began her speech:

"Jane... I don't have my vows either." They all laughed. "But I don't need them. I know what you make me feel, now let's see if I can put it into words." She took a few seconds and went on. "All my life I thought that there was something wrong with me. After a while, I learnt that being alone wasn't that bad and I was ok with that until you entered my life. You broke all my barriers, you taught me how to be very strong and very sensitive at the same time. You have such a big heart... Every day with you has been a lesson. You showed me there's life outside my shell and now I could never imagine my life without you. You guide me, teach me and love me like nobody else. I admire you and love you so much. I commit myself to you here, in front of our loved ones, and promise to adore you till the day I die, my love, Jane Rizzoli."

Korsak left a few seconds of pause to let Maura's words register in Jane's mind. Then, he took over the ceremony and with a soft voice he stated:

"Thank you, Jane and Maura. Those were very beautiful vows. Frankie, do you have the rings?"

"Oh, right! Yes, I have them here." He first gave Maura's to Jane and Korsak asked:

"Jane Rizzoli, do you take Maura Isles as your wife?"

"Yes I do." She said, full of emotion. And then put the ring into Maura's finger. Next, Frankie gave Jane's ringer to Maura and Korsak repeated:

"Maura Isles, do you take Jane Rizzoli as your wife?"

"Yes I do." Smiling, Maura put the ring into Jane's finger and both joined hands again.

"For the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I declare you officially married. You can kiss now." The group started clapping and the couple, kissing.

They kissed for so long that a few of the attendants had to clear their throat to remind the couple that they were not alone. When they parted lips and laughed nervously, the family started hugging them and kissing them on the cheeks. Everybody was happy that they could finally tie the knot, after so many complications in their relationship. They deserved happiness and It wouldn't be possible for them without the other, they all knew.

Frank suggested: "Let's go celebrate! I know a place that will have room for all of us and the food is excellent!"

Jane had other ideas, though: "You guys, this has been amazing and I'm very happy that you attended our wedding, but, pa, raincheck? Right now, I want to start our wedding night, if you know what I mean."

Maura's face went bright red and the rest of the gang burst out laughing. Angela intervened afterwards: "You go, kids and have fun!" And the couple took off happily.

When they arrived home, Jane wanted to keep the tradition and lifted Maura in her arms to cross the threshold as a just married couple. Only this time, since they were both brides, Maura decided to do the same and she made Jane go out the house to repeat the process. Maura was stronger than she looked and had no problem taking Jane in her arms to cross the threshold.

When Maura put Jane down, they looked at each other and Jane couldn't help but say with a feral voice: "I'm hungry." While staring at her wife with a lascivious look.

Maura burst out laughing and asked mischievously: "Yes? Anything special you want to try, Jane Rizzoli-Isles?"

"Oh, believe me, I have many ideas." Suddenly, she assaulted Maura's lips and they crashed against the wall. The intensity of the moment started rising. They touched each other's bodies as if it were the first time, eager to discover them. Caresses all over, while keeping a heated kiss, until Jane stopped all movement and said: "Go to our bedroom, I want to prepare something special."

Maura looked at her half frustrated half excited and complied, with an idea of her own.

Jane went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to get some "supplies". Then, she looked in all the cupboards and, when she was satisfied, put everything on a tray and headed to the bedroom. Was she wasn't expecting was to see the room candle-lit and full of flower petals. Maura had managed to light all the candles, spread the petals and put on very provocative lingerie in the few minutes Jane had taken to arrange her part.

"Wow." She remained with her mouth open and the tray on her hands, while Maura observed her from a distance, ready for everything:

"Do you like what you see?" She said turning around to turn Jane on even more.

"Yeah." Replied the brunette breathlessly.

"Then come here and help yourself."

Jane, after hearing those words, almost dropped the tray with all the things, but she had enough clarity to leave it on the bed and "attack" Maura with all her might. Her first instinct was to kiss her on the lips and then on the neck, but she really wanted to rip off the sexy negligee and make love to her immediately.

"Wait." Maura was more self-controlled and knew exactly how to set the pace. "First, let me get you out of this beautiful gown. You look wonderful, but I want to admire your body."

With Maura's suggestive voice, Jane couldn't resist and let her undress her painfully slowly. Button by button, Maura took her time until Jane was completely naked in front of her. She couldn't resist anymore and her hands started roaming all over Jane's body while they kissed fiercely.

Without hesitation, Jane pushed Maura onto the bed and took control of the situation. She licked Maura's breasts until the skin was red and then remembered that she had taken treats to the room. She stood up, went to the tray she brought and found the thing she was looking for. She then went back to the bed and, without warning, sprayed whipped cream all over Maura's body, paying special attention to her breasts and the way down to her center. Since it was cold and Jane didn't waste time to lick it, Maura moaned in pleasure.

Jane finished her way on the breasts and started going down, until she reached Maura's labia where she licked more intensely, massaging the area with her tongue.

"Oh yes! Jane!"

To gain intensity, Jane inserted a tentative finger in Maura's core, earning Maura's gasp while her body was arching in pleasure. After a few seconds, Jane added another finger and started moving them, at first slowly and then, seeing that Maura was about to reach her climax, she started pounding hard and fast, until Maura cried: "Goooooooooood!" and her body went limp. She had lost all control after riding her orgasm but, the next thing she knew, Jane was intertwining their legs in order to join their centers. With the pleasurable sensation of feeling their cores together, they started moving, synchronizing their movements and rubbing their genitalia against each other.

Since Maura already had an orgasm, her center was already very wet, but Jane's wasn't bad either because she was very turned on. When they felt that they were about to reach their peak, they moved faster until they managed to orgasm at the same time.

They made love six times that night, until they ran out of energy and fell asleep holding each other. It was well past noon when Maura awoke and her good morning to Jane was a tender kiss on her lips. The brunette replied with a smile and a sleepy "Good morning to you too."

"How did you sleep? Last night was very busy." Said Maura in a playful tone.

"I slept like a baby. I think sex is the best remedy against insomnia." They both laughed.

They took a shower –separately, because they didn't have the strength for more sexual intercourse at the moment– and went to the kitchen to have breakfast. When they were already settled at the table, Jane asked: "What are we going to do with all this free time? I'm not used to having vacation."

"Oh, right! I almost forgot! We have to pack."

"Pack?"

"Yes! Before I even planned our wedding and after having our vacation confirmed, I booked a trip."

"To where?"

"Ah, it's a surprise. You'll have to trust me and be patient. Now, let's eat and start packing."

"How am I supposed to pack if I don't know where I'm going?"

"Just pack the essentials. You know, bikini, summer clothes, a beach towel and that stuff. Oh, and your passport, of course."

"Ok, so we are going to the beach abroad. For how long?"

"A week. Now go, start packing. Our plane leaves in four hours."

Jane complied. When they were ready, Maura drove to the airport. She also made the check-in to keep the surprise until the end. They went through all the airport controls and finally made it to gate, where the screen said: _Malé_.

Jane was confused: "Malé? Where the hell is that?"

Maura laughed and teased her: "You should have checked an atlas before coming, just in case. Ah, you'll see when we get there. By the way, it's a twelve-hour flight so you better get comfy."

"Twelve hours? I hate planes!"

"Maybe, but this trip is worth it, I promise."

When they landed, Jane was very cranky until she realized that they were in the Maldives. "Oh my God. This is paradise!"

"Isn't it?" Maura was very satisfied after seeing Jane's reaction to their destination. "We also have a great hotel room and the beaches here are amazing."

Jane stopped Maura from walking and said: "No, YOU are amazing. You are the best person I could ever have. I love you and don't even deserve you." She kissed her, but they were in the middle of the airport, so she stopped herself and they took a taxi to their hotel.

They spent the week sunbathing, having walks along the beach at dusk and making tender love every night. When they went back home, they would be ready face everything life threw at them, because they had each other, forever.

 **FIN**


End file.
